


Strangers

by AngelsAnarchy



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Charmed - Freeform, F/M, Hybrids, Magic, Magical Realism, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-13
Updated: 2013-08-13
Packaged: 2017-12-23 09:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 189,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/924772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelsAnarchy/pseuds/AngelsAnarchy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scott, Maggie and Stiles were best friends growing up until one day she up and moved away without so much as a goodbye. Now 6 years later she's returned to Beacon Hills with a few secrets of her own. Can Scott protect another person he loves? Will Stiles find it in his heart to forgive his childhood best friend or will the secrets between them be too much handle? Stiles/OC<br/><img/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Prologue

Growing up, Maggie, Stiles and Scott were always sort of oddball kids. Maggie was a tomboy nerd who was too tall for her age, Scott was always the quiet one and Stiles…well Stiles just wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. Despite how different they all were, they were pretty much inseparable. Scott knew that Maggie had crushed on Stiles even as kids but Stiles only ever seemed to have eyes for Lydia Martin. Maggie would never admit her feelings out loud but she often shared looks of disappointment with Scott while Stiles fawned blindly over Lydia.

Maggie and Scott had a special bond. After Scott's parents got divorced, his father just sort of disappeared and Maggie's father left so early on that she barely remembered him. They understood what it was like to wonder why they weren't worth sticking around for. When Maggie and her mom suddenly disappeared at 10 years old, both boys took it pretty hard. Scott knew she wouldn't have left like that by choice but Stiles felt betrayed. His pain only amplified when his mother died shortly after and his best friend wasn't there to comfort him when he needed her most. He swore to himself that he'd never speak to her again if she ever showed her face in Beacon Hills and as fate would have it, she would return. Stiles tried never to let his mind drift back to the past because it held so much pain for him as far as Maggie and his mother were concerned but somehow it's managed to weasel it's way right back into his life at this very moment.

Stiles and his dad sat in his squad car eating another fast food dinner and getting in some father/son bonding which was mostly small talk as Stiles itched for a call to come in over the radio.

"Did they forget my curly fries?" Sheriff Stiles asked looking over at his son as he rooted through the bag of food.

"You're not supposed to eat fries, especially the curly kind." Stiles said babying his father. The doctor told him he needed to watch his cholesterol and Stiles seemed to be the only one doing that for him.

"Hey I'm the one carrying the lethal weapon here. If I want the curly fries, I will have the curly fries." The Sheriff said making Stiles roll his eyes.

"If you think getting rid of contractions in all your sentences makes your argument anymore legitimate, you are wrong!" Stiles teased. His father looked over at his remark and saw that he was proud of himself for burning his father. He let the silence fill the car before breaching a sensitive subject.

"So I got a call last night from one of your mom's old friends. She's moving back with her niece and is going to be starting at Beacon Hills High soon." He said making Stiles snort.

"I hope you didn't say I'd show her around because I have way too many-" Stiles started to say when his father interrupted.

"It's Maggie." Stiles froze as he stuffed food into his mouth. He hadn't heard that name in so long he secretly hoped he was mistaken.

"Maggie Stevens?" Stiles asked to be sure but his father nodded.

"She goes by Maggie Carter now. Took her aunt's name after they took her in." His father explained and Stiles sighed.

"Why are you telling me this? You know I don't care. It doesn't change anything." Stiles said taking a drink of his soda.

"Come on Stiles. She's been through a lot too and she's going to need a-" Stiles was the one to cut his father off this time.

"A what? A friend? She doesn't know the meaning of the word. I don't care what she's been through, I'm not going to act like she didn't up and run away without even bothering to tell me." Stiles felt his bitterness showing.

"Maybe she's got a good reason?" Stiles looked over at his father incredulously.

"Maybe she does but what's the good reason for not calling or sending a letter, anything? No she wasn't here when I needed her the most. She wasn't here when…just forget about it. She can find some other suckers to befriend. Plenty of freaks at Beacon Hills High." Stiles looked out of the window and heard his father sigh.

"You know how much your mom loved her. She always thought you two-" Stiles slammed his drink down on the dash.

"DAD! Please…just stop alright. I'd rather eat in an awkward silence then have to take a trip down memory lane to hell. Can we please just change the subject?" Stiles asked firmly and the Sheriff put his hands up.

"Fine. Sorry I brought it up but whether you like it or not, Maggie is coming back to Beacon Hills and you'll have to face her sometime." The Sheriff looked at his son who couldn't wrap his head around forgiving his childhood best friend. Just as he was starting to over think the situation a call came in over the radio snapping them both out of the intense conversation prior.


	2. Chaos Clarity

**[Scott's POV]**

After my meltdown in the locker room with Stiles about finding out Allison's father was a part of some epic werewolf hunting gang, I padded up and headed to the field completely distracted with what was going on in my head. Coach had blown the whistle and Jackson was currently killing it on the field from what I gathered without actually watching. I couldn't get the thought of Allison's father mounting my head on their living room wall out of my head. It was hard enough being a werewolf but now I had to worry about people killing me too?

_"What number did they say he was again? Number 11, that's right. Where are you Scott?"_

I heard a voice in my head and wasn't sure where it was coming from. I looked around the field for a female, considering the voice sounded so soft and feminine. There were a few people on the bleachers but none looking at the practice.

_"Oh there you are. Oh my God Scotty, you look so grown. I can't believe how quickly you've grown."_

I felt like I knew the voice but I couldn't put my finger on it. I finally saw a short brunette hiding behind the corner of the bleachers watching me intently. I tilted my head to the side trying to figure out her face, her smell, something but I was snapped out of it by a whistle.

"MCCALL! Let's go!" Coach blew his whistle again and I looked at Jackson who was looking at me like he was ready to level me. I gave the girl one last glance before taking off towards Jackson.

_"Come on, come on, come on! You can do it Scott."_

I heard her say under her breath as I ran and before I knew it I was on my back feeling like I was hit by a truck.

"MCCALL!" The coach yelled at me as I could feel anguish from the mystery girl on the sidelines. She was worried about me. Her scent of soft floral perfume and cherries filled my senses but it was interrupted by Jackson.

"Sure you wanna be first line, McCall?" Jackson taunted from above me. I got up quickly as the coach approached me.

"McCall, my grandmother can move faster than that and she's dead. Do you think you can move faster than the lifeless corpse of my dead grandmother?" He challenged as I gripped my arm which was healing from the hit I took.

"Yes coach." I said looking over at Jackson's smug face and feeling my temper rise.

"I can't hear you." Coach said.

"YES COACH!" I said louder trying to contain the wolf inside me dying to get out.

"Then do it again." Coach walked away from me announcing to everyone that I was going to give it another shot. This time I kept my eyes on Jackson and not on the girl in the bleachers.

The moment coach blew the whistle and took off towards Jackson once more, this time being the one to make the contact and knocking Jackson to the ground. Coach blew the whistle and everyone rushed towards Jackson. I felt the wolf getting out of control.

"Scott?" Stiles had dropped to a knee beside me as the team checked on Jackson who was apparently injured.

"I can't control it Stiles. It's happening." I gritted my teeth feeling the wolf escaping me.

"What? Right here? Now?" Stiles asked in disbelief but all I could do was groan.

"Okay, get up! Come on!" He pulled me to my feet and drug me towards the locker room. I barely made it before falling to my knees. Stiles was still trying to help me when I turned around and snapped at him.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" I growled making him jump back. All I saw was red as I chased him around the locker room. I didn't see my best friend anymore. I saw anger and rage as I cornered him. I prayed he would just leave but he didn't. When I finally snapped out of it, it felt like I hit a brick wall but it was really just Stiles spraying me with a fire extinguisher. I looked towards the door and shook the cold substance out of my eyes.

"Stiles? What just happened?" I asked as he dropped the extinguisher and threw his gloves off.

"You tried to kill me. It's like I told you before it's the anger, your pulse rising. It's like a trigger." He explained kneeling in front of me.

"But that's lacrosse. It's a pretty violent game if you hadn't noticed." I said as Stiles rolled his eyes.

"Well it's going to be a lot more violent if you actually end up killing someone on the field. You can't play Saturday, you're gonna have to get out of the game." Stiles said and I felt an ache in my chest.

"But I'm first line." I said as Stiles pursed his lips.

"Not anymore." He said making me put my head in my hands. That smell lingered into my sense again and my head shot up. I ran to the doorway and looked out but I didn't see the girl.

"What is it?" Stiles asked looking at whatever I was looking for.

"There was this girl hiding behind the bleachers. I could hear her talking about me." I said peering down the hall again.

"Well you did get wiped out before totally leveling Jackson." Stiles said but I shook my head.

"No something about her was familiar. I don't know what it was but the moment I figured out where the voice was coming from it's like everything about her invaded my senses." I explained.

"Don't you have a girlfriend? Can't you save a few for the rest of us?" Stiles joked.

"Let's get out of here man." Stiles and I changed out of our uniforms before heading out.

The moment I got home I flopped down on my bed, exhausted. There were way too many things going on in my head at the moment. I was waiting to hear about how bad I had hurt Jackson, after today's practice I wasn't sure how I was going to get out of playing in the game. Plus worrying about Allison's dad and Derek practically stalking me now. On top of everything else, I couldn't get that girl out of my head. Something about her spiked my werewolf senses and I would really like to know why. My thoughts were interrupted when my mom came to the door.

"Hey late shift again for me but I am taking Saturday off to see your first game." Mom said proudly and I sighed.

"Mom you can't." I said lazily still laying on my stomach.

"Oh I can and I will. Besides, one shift isn't going to break us…not completely." She joked but I just rolled my eyes.

"Hey what's wrong with your eyes?" She asked and I panicked.

"It looks like you haven't slept in days." She finished and I felt my stomach settle.

"Oh it's nothing. I'm just stressed." I said simply sitting up a bit.

"Just stress? Nothing else? It's not like you're on drugs or anything right?" Mom was trying to be subtle and failing.

"Um not right now, no." I said making her face drop.

"What do you mean not right now? Have you done drugs before?" She questioned and I let out a sigh.

"Have you?" I asked and she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Okay smartie. If you didn't have a guest coming over then I'd ground you for messing with me." She said walking back to the door.

"Wait, who's coming over?" I asked unsure of who she was talking about.

"It's a surprise but I think you'll like it." She smiled. I just shook my head trying to think of what she was up to.

"Don't stay up too late." She said before walking out of my room. I could hear her grabbing her bags and coat and leaving out of the front door as my computer started beeping. I let out a sigh before sitting at my computer and seeing Stiles face pop up with a toy gun.

"What'd you find out?" I asked tiredly.

"Well Jackson's got a separated shoulder." Stiles said. I couldn't get a break.

"Because of me?" I asked.

"Because he's a tool." Stiles corrected.

"Well is a going to play?" I asked eager.

"They don't know yet. Now they're just counting on you for Saturday." He said knowing how much more pressure that was putting on me.

"Great." I said running my hand through my hair.

"What are you up to?" Stiles asked curiously.

"Well I was going to call it a night but my mom said someone is coming over to surprise me or something." I watched as Stiles put his face closer to the camera freaking me out a bit.

"What? What's wrong?" I asked and he started typing. The screen froze at his first sentence.

"It looks like what?" I asked again waiting for the screen to finish loading and when it finally did I felt my heart drop. I made my screen bigger and saw that someone was indeed behind me but before I could react Derek Hale was pulling me out of my computer chair and throwing me against the wall.

"I saw you on the field." He had me pinned to the wall and I was trying not to freak out.

"What are you talking about?" I asked terrified.

"YOU SHIFTED IN FRONT OF THEM! If they find out what you are, they find out about me, they find out about all of us. It won't just be the hunters after us, it'll be everyone." Derek seethed in my ear.

"They didn't see anything I swear!" I pleaded.

"AND THEY WON'T because if you even try to play in that game on Saturday I'll kill you myself." Derek threatened before pushing me once more and disappearing. I felt the pressure lift from my back and I let out a few deep breaths. I jumped when I heard the doorbell ring. I walked downstairs slowly trying to pull myself together but before I could get to the door I got that familiar feeling.

"Flowers and cherries." I muttered aloud. I ran to the door and opened it quickly but there was no one there. I looked around before shutting the door. The smell was amplified and I realized it was now in the house with me. I ran back up the stairs and there she was. The mystery brunette sitting on my bed with her hands in her lap. She looked up at me with big brown eyes and I knew exactly who she was.

"Maggie?" I said in disbelief. She smiled.

"Hey Scotty, it's been far too long." She said standing up. I was trying to find the right words to say. Something to push through this wall of shock from seeing my childhood best friend after 6 long years standing in my bedroom completely grown up.

"I was going to use the front door but I remembered the trellis we made your mom get when you first moved in. I guess I'm not too heavy to get up it still." She looked to the window as I still stood with my mouth open.

"I saw you at your practice today. You looked like you were a million miles away so I didn't want to bother you but…wow Scotty I'm just…I'm just so proud of you." She smiled at me fighting tears and in that moment I felt a weight lift off of my chest. In all this chaos, seeing Maggie here again just made me feel like everything might be alright.

"I guess I'll just-" She looked as though she was about to leave and I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around her tightly. I hugged her as if she was leaving all over again and she hugged me back.

"I can't believe you're really here." I whispered into the top of her head as I held onto her. She was short which I thought was funny considering she was always taller than Stiles and I. I heard her sob a bit.

"Me either. For a second I thought you might have stroked out from ultimate hatred for me or something." She admitted and I shook my head.

"Of course not. You're my best friend Mags. I was just shocked to see you. I didn't think I'd ever see you again." I pulled out of the hug and looked at her. When we were kids, Maggie was such a tomboy with dirt covered overalls and thick glasses but after 6 years she looked completely different.

"Look at you! I barely recognize you." I said looking her up and down. We once thought she was going to be a giant but it turns out that would be how tall she would be even in her teen years. Her short, mousy brown hair was now long and wavy. Her glasses were no more which only gave you better view of her huge brown eyes.

"Me? Look at you! How's the weather up there, Mr. Lacrosse?" She teased and I felt the stress leaving my body as I took her hands into mine.

"I seriously can't believe you're back. It's like…it's like you knew I needed you or something." I admitted and she smiled.

"It's good to be home." She said. I pulled her to sit down on my bed.

"What brought you back? Did your mom change her mind? Where have you been? Why didn't you call or write?" I heard Maggie's heart speed up and watched her face as she looked down at her hands.

"Mags? Are you okay?" I asked her and she bit her lip.

"I-uh…It's kind of a long story." She couldn't meet my eyes and I put my hand on top of hers.

"You know you can tell me anything. What is it?" I reassured her but before she could speak I heard the front door open and feet rushing up the steps. I already knew it was Stiles before he got up the steps and flew into my door.

"ARE YOU OKAY! I SAW IT WAS-" Stiles stopped talking once he realized there was someone else in the room.

"I'm fine but look who came home." I said knowing how hard Stiles took Maggie's disappearance. When he didn't say anything Maggie stood up.

"D-do you remember me?" She asked and Stiles locked his jaw.

"Yeah I remember you. My Dad said you'd be coming back. I guess I didn't believe him." Stiles said bitterly. The mood in the room changed instantly.

"Wait you knew and didn't tell me?" I asked stepping forward but he kept his eyes on her.

"What's the point? We've got bigger things to worry about rather than her insignificant return." Stiles said and Maggie dropped her head.

"Stiles!" I said but he shook his head.

"It's Maggie Carter now, right? Sad that you think changing your name will change who you truly are." Stiles spat crossing his arms over his chest.

"I changed my name because my aunt adopted me. That doesn't mean who I am has changed." Maggie said with a sigh.

"It's a shame. I pity the next two idiots you reel in as your best friends before bailing out of the blue." I couldn't tell whose heart was beating faster between the both of them.

"Stiles, chill out man. Let's just sit down and talk about this." I said trying to be the voice of reason.

"That's okay Scott. I've got to get home anyway. Karen just thought I should come by and say hey before I start at the school tomorrow." She said with a weak smile.

"Thanks for the heads up this time. You're a peach." Stiles said sarcastically but before I could say anything Maggie put her hand on my chest and stopped me.

"I'll see you tomorrow Scott." She squeezed my hand before walking towards Stiles who looked past her.

"It's good to see you again too Stiles." She said before walking out of my room and down the steps. Stiles held his arms across his chest until he heard the front door open and shut.

"Okay what did De-" I cut him off.

"DUDE! What the hell! We just got her back and you totally shut her down!" I yelled and Stiles held his jaw.

"So what? She's back. I'm supposed to be thrilled?" Stiles asked me and my eyes went wide.

"Um YES!" I said drastically.

"Why would I be happy about that? I don't get why you're so jazzed. She abandoned us both if you remember correctly." Stiles pointed out and I sighed.

"Maybe if you would have given her a chance she would have explained what happened." I said but Stiles shook his head. I knew why Stiles took Maggie's disappearance so personal and I was unsure his mind would ever be changed.

"Look man, I know losing her right before losing your mom-" Stiles eyes shot to me and I shut up.

"I was just coming over to make sure Derek didn't slaughter you. I'll just see you tomorrow." Stiles turned around to face the door and I called after him.

"Stiles, you're going to have to talk to her eventually. She's back now and no matter how much you fight it she'll always be your best friend too." I said and Stiles didn't turn around.

"My best friend abandoned me 6 years ago. I've got all the friends I need now." Stiles said before leaving me standing in my room dumbfounded. Tomorrow was going to be a bowl of fun. Get out of the game without disappointing about 25 people, keep Allison's dad from killing me, get the story from Maggie about her sudden return to Beacon Hills and keep Stiles from pushing her away. Should be a breeze.


	3. Foolish Games

**[Maggie's POV]**

Karen and I had been parked in front of the school for about 45 minutes, just sitting in silence as I tried to gather the courage to get out of the car. It shouldn't be this hard. It's just high school. I would know a good portion of these people anyway so why was I freaking out?

"Um I'm pretty sure this is the part where you go get an education." Karen spoke up finally and I looked at myself in the mirror.

"Maybe a dress was too much? Do I look like I'm trying to hard?" I started to over analyze everything and Karen laughed.

"You look beautiful Maggie but if you don't get out of the car no one will be able to gawk at you. You were blessed with the beauty of all us Stevens's women. Be proud." Karen said making me touch the necklace mom had given me. It was the last important thing she ever gave me. I thought about her more now that I was back in Beacon Hills.

"I'm just nervous I guess. It's weird being back here. Everyone's going to think I'm new." I bit my bottom lip.

"Wasn't the move about a fresh start?" Karen reminded me but I still wasn't ready to face this alone.

"Scott and Stiles know who you are and in my book that's all that matters. How did things go last night?" Karen asked with her hands on the wheel.

"Well after Scott got over the shock he was thrilled but Stiles still hates me. I'm not surprised I guess." I said honestly.

"Hey, you haven't been living the dream either. You've lost just as much as he has, more even. There's no need to compare tragedies though. You're here now." Karen pointed out but I shook my head.

"It doesn't matter. I should have told him or left him a note, something." I said.

"Have you thought about telling him why you had to leave? Or maybe what happened to your mom?" Karen asked softly. I looked over at her with sad eyes.

"The last thing I want to do is come back and make a bunch of excuses. I just want a fresh start here." I took a deep breath and sat up straight.

"Well then just be yourself and he's bound to come around. You're too amazing not to love. Now that was my motivational speech for the day. I'm going to be late for work." Karen kissed my forehead and I checked my phone before opening the door. I stepped out and looked back at Karen one last time.

"You know what to do if you get too overwhelmed. Love you kiddo." Karen said. I smiled as I turned to walk into the school. A few people started trying to figure me out but I just gave friendly smiles. I pulled out my schedule and looked for my locker. When I finally found it I was struggling to get it open.

"Come on!" I kicked the bottom of the locker and heard a small laugh.

"For someone so small you sure do seem to have a lot of rage." I looked over and saw a tall boy with short dark hair.

"Well for a piece of weak metal this door sure loves giving me a hard time." I whined defeated as the boy approached.

"Mind if I give it a try?" He asked politely and I handed him the paper. He read the number and put the combination in opening the door without any issues.

"I've been here for 5 minutes and I already feel like an idiot." I said putting my hand on my forehead.

"It's a good thing you're pretty then." The boy was clearly teasing as he handed the paper back to me.

"Thanks…" I didn't get his name.

"Danny and you're the new girl or at least one of them." He said adjusting his bag on his shoulder.

"It's nice to meet you Danny. I'm Maggie, Maggie Carter." I said shaking his hand.

"Wow I love that bracelet." He said still holding onto my hand to admire the bracelet.

"Thanks. I think you're the first boy I've met who has good taste in accessories." I laughed and he let go of my wrist.

"Well I'm probably not like most boys you know. I guess I should mention I'm gay before you hear it someplace else." Danny said with a soft smile.

"You'd have to be. Polite, good taste and good looking. The boys of Beacon Hills are beyond lucky." I said shutting the locker door.

"I like you already. My locker is about 4 over so if you ever need anything just give me a shout. I'm sure we have a few classes together." Danny said as the first bell rang.

"I hope so. Thanks again." I smiled before walking off in the opposite direction. I ran into Scott who was looking at his phone.

"Hey I'm glad I ran into you. I need help finding this class." I said and he looked at the paper.

"I'll take you. I'm in that class." He said sounding out of it.

"Why are you so thrilled? I thought you had a game tomorrow? Shouldn't you be jazzed or pre-gaming or something?" I asked and he sighed.

"I can't play in it but I just spent the last 10 minutes trying to convince Coach it was for the best and he wasn't buying it." Scott explained as we walked.

"Why can't you play? I thought you kicked ass out there." I asked confused.

"It's complicated but trust me, people don't want me on that field." Scott said as we rounded the corner and his demeanor changed entirely. I looked up to see what he was grinning at and it was a girl.

"Hey you busy?" The girl asked smiling at me.

"Oh no just talking to Maggie. She's nothing- I mean…" Scott started to stutter and I laughed.

"Hi I'm Maggie." I said putting my hand out.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Allison. I'm a friend of Scott's." She said shaking my hand.

"One of his favorites it would seem. I'll get out of your hair if you just point me in the right direction." I said looking at Scott.

"You don't have to go, I just wanted to tell Scott that we're all going out after the game tomorrow night. You should come too. Scott's got a friend that could use some company." Allison said and I looked at Scott who gave me a nod.

"Stiles is quite the 3rd wheel, isn't he?" I teased making her laugh.

"Oh so you know Stiles?" Allison asked.

"We grew up together." Scott finally spoke and Allison made a surprised face.

"That's cool. I'd love to hear stories about that." Allison wiggled her eyebrows at Scott and his eyes went wide.

"Oh no you don't." Scott said.

"Well I'll see you both at lunch but Maggie you should definitely come with. It would be fun." Allison said before giving Scott's arm a squeeze. He watched her walk away and I watched him swoon with a smile on my face.

"Oh God." Scott said rubbing his face. When he heard me snickering at him he looked up.

"So Mr. Lacrosse, how about you tell me about your insanely pretty girlfriend?" I asked ribbing him.

"She's not really my girlfriend…yet." Scott blushed and I laughed out loud.

"You dirty dog, McCall!" I said hitting his arm.

"Yeah yeah let's get to class." Scott put his arm around my shoulders as we walked and just managed to make it into the classroom as the bell rang.

"Mr. McCall, I hope you haven't told the new girl that sliding in with the bell is acceptable." The teacher said.

"No sir." Scott said.

"Class this is Maggie Carter. She's going to be joining us and since her and Mr. McCall are already standing how about you join Lydia at the board to do the equations." The teacher was very snippy but I walked up to the board to look at the equation. It was simple but the moment I started working on it I was interrupted.

"That dress is fabulous. You have to tell me where you bought it." I looked over and there stood the 105 pounds of strawberry blonde hair that tortured my childhood. I knew that fake smile and fish lips anywhere. I looked over at Scott and he just shook his head at me.

"Thanks and I got it from a store." I said offering a fake smile in return.

"That's cute. New girl thinks she's hot stuff huh? Well I'll let you in on a secret. I'm queen bee around her sweetheart. I date the captain of the Lacrosse team and I can either make you or break you socially so I'd watch those cute little remarks if I were you." Lydia smiled the whole time she was reciting her queen bee speech and I just worked on my equation.

"So you're queen bee because you swap spit with the captain of the high school lacrosse team? Wow that sounds like a lot of work." She let out a chuckle of surprise.

"While I appreciate your status I can't really find it in myself to really care." I finished the equation as her jaw dropped slightly. I smiled at her and walked over to the empty desk in the back of the classroom. She glared over her shoulder at me before turning her focus on Scott. I felt for my pendant and felt relaxed as I watched Lydia grill Scott about something. I had a feeling she wouldn't be the only face from the past I would see today.

My next class was History and it wasn't so terrible despite not knowing anyone in it. Everyone was pretty friendly and accommodating but when it came time for partnering off for a project I had gotten the one person in the class who didn't make any effort to welcome me. He was a large, broad shoulder boy with a sullen look on his face. It reminded me of Scott as a kid surprisingly.

"So I can do the outline tonight and we can work on who gets what part over email if you want?" I offered and the boy just shrugged.

"Did I say something to offend you or is working with the new girl really that horrible?" I asked catching his attention.

"Sorry, I just kind of figured I wouldn't invest in becoming friends considering you're bound to end up in the popular crowd." He said rolling his eyes to the side.

"Well you obviously don't know me. I'm pretty much a dork in disguise. You'd be surprised to know that I'd rather go to the arcades then the mall to shop." I said proudly making him laugh.

"It's only your first day. Give it time and you'll be trailing Lydia and the other new girl in no time." He said tapping his pencil.

"That'll never happen. I'd rather have no friends if the only other choice was to be friends with Lydia Martin." I said watching his face screw up. He was trying to figure me out and I could tell he was debating on giving me a chance.

"Look I'm not saying we should be best friends or anything but we're partners for this project and I'm not one to let someone do all the work so here's my email." I handed him a piece of paper with my email address and screen name on it.

"Boyd." He said making me furrow my eyebrows.

"My name is Boyd." He extended his hand and I smiled.

"It's nice to meet you Boyd. I'm Maggie." The bell rang and we both smiled. I managed to make at least 3 friends before lunch.

**[Stiles POV]**

I was suffering through the last half hour of my first class of the day when I overheard Danny talking with some of the guys on the team.

"So you got the details on the new chick?" Brian asked.

"I didn't ask her if she would go out with you if that's what you're asking. She's new. Try not to scare her off just yet." Danny said.

"Dude, ladies love me. Especially short brunettes with sexy curves." Brian said and I wasn't sure who exactly he was talking about. Allison wasn't short.

"That must explain why so many ladies are banging down your door." Danny said making the others laugh.

"Did you at least get her name?" Brian persisted.

"It's Maggie. I didn't get a last name but her locker is four down from mine." Danny explained and I rolled my eyes.

"Where's she from?" Brian asked finally making Danny let out an annoyed sigh.

"I don't know man. Why don't you ask her yourself, stalker." Danny complained and I spun around in my seat.

"Her name is Maggie Carter and she's from here. She just moved back." I said making them both look at me.

"Think you could introduce me, Stilinski?" Brian asked trying to get an in.

"I don't even want to know her so that's a no." I said turning back around in my chair.

"She seemed nice to me." Danny added as the bell rang.

"Yeah well you don't know her like I do." I grabbed my bag and walked out of the classroom to see my Dad talking with the Principal. I stopped and hid around the corner trying to read their lips from afar but it wasn't working. I turned around and saw Scott at his locker and ran over to grab him.

"What?" He asked sounding disappointed.

"Tell me what they're saying." I pushed him in front of me and we both hid behind the corner watching my dad talk.

"Can you hear him?" I asked and he shushed me. I grew inpatient as I waited.

"Curfew because of the body." Scott said.

"Unbelievable. My dad is out there searching for a rapid animal while the jerkoff that actually killed the girl is just out doing whatever he wants." I said in disgust.

"Who killed who?" We both jumped at the intrusive voice.

"My God! Can you not just creep up on people?" I said as Maggie stood curiously behind Scott and me.

"Sorry but you guys were creeping all your own. Who killed someone?" Maggie asked again.

"So you wear a dress but you eavesdrop? Mixing signals aren't you? People might think you're a well-mannered girl." I said icily and Scott sighed.

"Come on St-" Maggie put her hand up at Scott.

"Don't bother Scott. If I was walking around all morning with my fly down I'd be cranky too. I'll see you later." She walked past us and I rolled my eyes.

"Psh…fly down…like I'm gonna fall for that." I crossed my arms over my chest and Scott shook his head.

"My fly's down isn't it?" I asked pursing my lips together annoyed.

"Yup." He said and I kicked my foot out before fixing it.

"I can't just sit around here and do nothing." I said more irritated now.

"Well it's not like we can tell your dad the truth about Derek." Scott said and an idea hit me.

"I can do something." I said looking over towards my dad.

"Like what?" Scott asked.

"Like find the other half of that body." I said before walking away. I heard Scott call after me in disbelief but he should know by now that I was serious when it came to stupid things. I skipped my next class to go to the library and do some research. If there was any way we were going to find the other half of that body we would need to know the layout of the Beacon Hills Reserve. I managed to find a huge map of the woods and printed it out, marking off the places we had looked and marking off where the cops already covered. The truth was plain and simple, I'd rather get Derek off the streets than wait until something happens to my dad. I admired that he was Sheriff and served to protect the town but I couldn't take losing him too. I was snapped out of my thoughts by my phone beeping.

**Text from Scott:** _  
Just got back from Derek's. New info. Meet me at my house._

I scrambled to put the map in my bag only drawing attention to myself as the bell rang. I pushed out of the doors and ducked behind the wall immediately when I saw my dad talking to Maggie.

"It's good to see you again Maggie. Have you managed to run into Stiles yet?" He asked her with a smile on his face.

"Yeah I have. He is like a completely different person." I watched my dad look at her curiously and I figured I was about to be ratted out.

"Oh jeez, is he being rude to you?" My dad asked making me snort but Maggie laughs.

"Oh no I meant how he's taller than me and has no hair anymore. He may look completely different on the surface but he's still Stiles." She smiled and I was a bit thrown. I thought I was doing a pretty good job of letting her know I didn't want her around but there she was, lying to my dad about me being a peach.

"Well his mother raised him right." I felt a pang in my heart that I'm sure my dad felt just mentioning my mom.

"You both did a wonderful job." She said before my dad put a hand on her arm.

"If you need anything you know our door is always open." He reassured her and she nodded.

"Thank you Sheriff Stilinksi." Maggie said making my dad shake his head.

"After all these years you can call me John." He corrected but Maggie bit her lip.

"If you don't mind I'd rather call you Sheriff Stilinksi. You're the Sheriff. You earned that title and it should be respected." She said making me nod unconsciously agreeing.

"I appreciate that." My dad said standing a little taller. I pushed off the wall and left before I got caught spying for the second time today and hurried over to Scott's house. I ran straight through the front door, up the stairs and into his bedroom trying to catch my breath.

"What did you find? How did you find it? Where did you find it? And yes I've had a lot of adderol so…" I trailed off feeling my eye twitch slightly.

"I found something at Derek's." Scott said as he fiddled with his lacrosse stick.

"What the hell did you go out there for?" I asked a little bummed he didn't take me with him.

"The jacket of Allison's he used to lure me out in the woods the night of the party was back in her locker today. I went out there to tell him to stay away from her and saw something freshly buried. I could smell blood." Scott explained and I felt excitement jolt through me.

"That's AWESOME! I mean that's terrible, who's blood?" I was trying to keep my thoughts from going into overdrive.

"I don't know but when we do, your dad will nail Derek Hale for the murder and you'll help me learn how to play lacrosse without changing because there's no way I'm not playing that game." Scott said tightening his stick confidently. He was determined and I was down for the ride. We drove to the hospital so Scott could go and get the scent off of the first half of the body that was found in the woods. I spotted the sign for the morgue almost immediately and pointed to it.

"Good luck I guess?" I said as Scott nervously pushed through the door. I walked towards the desk area to sit down when I spotted Lydia sitting down already. I almost ran but something in me made me keep my feet planted.

"Come on Stiles. You can do this." I said to myself before turning back to where she sat. I'm really going to do this aren't I?

"Hey Lydia! You probably don't remember me, I sit behind you in biology." I pointed out and she looked me up and down. We had known each other since the beginning of time but I was always off of her radar.

"Uh anyway I just always thought we had this sort of connection…unspoken of course. Maybe it would be kind of cool to get to know each other a little better." I offered and she smiled making my heart feel like it was about to explode in my chest. She pushed her strawberry blonde locks behind her ear and I saw she had a Bluetooth attached to her dainty ear.

"Hold on, give me a second." She took it off her ear and looked at me.

"Yeah I didn't get anything you just said. Is it really worth repeating?" She asked me and I tried not to let it show that I felt like a complete ass.

"Uh no…sorry." I said before pushing off the wall and grabbing the first thing on the table I could find to read.

"I'm just gonna- yeah you don't care." I sat down in the chair and rolled my eyes.

"Some things just never change." I heard a voice say next to me. I looked over and let out a sigh seeing that it was Maggie.

"Are you adding stalking to your list of impeccable friend qualities?" I asked spitefully.

"Don't flatter yourself Stiles. I needed to get my shots for school. I'm afraid to even ask why you're lurking around here." She gestured to the booklet I had picked up that just so happened to be about menstrual cycles.

"I'm not lurking. Can't a guy do some light reading while he waits for his best friend?" I asked defensively watching her smirk out of the corner of her mouth.

"I wasn't aware you could read considering you still can't seem read the heavy messages of rejection coming off of Lydia?" She asked making me feel the embarrassment in my face.

"She was on the phone." I mumbled in defense.

"She hasn't been on the phone for 16 years, Stiles." Maggie said with a frown like she felt sorry for me and I sat up straight.

"How would you know? You bailed after 10." I put the book in front of my face and she sighed.

"I didn't bail! I had to leave. I barely had time to pack, let alone say goodbyes. It would have been too-" I cut her off.

"Whatever, you took the easy way out and didn't say anything because you didn't care enough about us to let us know what was going on. I'm not stupid, Maggie. I've witnessed your lies." I said flipping the page and she huffed.

"It's not a lie!" She defended.

"How about the one you fed my dad today about how great we're getting along which is beyond a lie. I'm waiting for the good old days where I could walk down the hall and not run into you." I said through gritted teeth.

"Look who's eavesdropping now." She said shaking her head.

"Whatever." I looked at the pages and slumped in my seat.

"I didn't lie to your dad either. I didn't say you were being a sweetheart to me. I said you had changed a lot but you were still you. The boy I grew up with had a heart the size of Texas but it took a lot to make him cut someone out of his life. Besides I'd never talk badly about you to your dad of all people." Maggie explained and I looked over at her big brown eyes.

For a second I saw the little girl I used to spend almost every moment with getting into trouble or camping in my backyard. I heard Jackson's annoying voice and my attention went back to Lydia. I felt my stomach lurch when she kissed him.

"Jackson grew up nicely." Maggie said next to me making me want to look at her with angst but I jumped when the booklet was yanked out of my hands.

"Holy God!" I said as my heartbeat jumped.

"The scent was the same." Scott said and I jumped out of the chair.

"Are you sure?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Scott said.

"So he did bury the other half of the body on his property." I said forgetting that Maggie was sitting there.

"Are we really talking about a body again?" Maggie stood up.

"No we're talking about a body. You're being nosey." I corrected her gesturing between Scott and I.

"It's nothing Mags, don't worry about it." Scott said trying to ease away from her but she gripped his arm.

"Hey! You can't just mention a dead body and expect me to not worry." She said making me grip the back of my neck.

"If you minded your own business-" Maggie cut me off.

"I get it Stiles! You loath me but I'm trying to make sure you idiots don't end up as a body in the woods either." Scott shushed Maggie as she started to get disgruntled.

"Look we are just trying to help Stiles dad out with this investigation. We found a body in the woods last week and we know where the guy who killed the girl lives." Scott explained.

"Why can't you just tell his dad where the guy lives?" Maggie asked and I stepped forward.

"We aren't going to send him there without actual proof. I'm not setting him up to look stupid." I explained. She looked at the both of us.

"Please Maggie just let us handle it." Scott asked. There was a moment of silence as she debated herself in her own mind before she finally spoke.

"Fine but I'm going with you." She said making us both snort in disapproval.

"Never going to happen." I said quickly.

"It's too dangerous Maggie." Scott said and she shook her head.

"I can take care of myself and besides if you find yourselves in a bad situation you'll need someone who knows how to sweet talk people." Maggie said making me roll my eyes.

"While I'm sure your lying skills are up to par, you're like 4 feet tall and wearing a dress. How the hell are you going to slow down a killer?" I asked with a laugh glancing over at Scott who looked unamused with my taunting. Before I knew what happened Maggie had swung her hand into my crotch and I doubled over feeling the hit straight to my pride and joy.

"Does that slow you down Stiles?" Maggie asked before Scott pulled her by the arm away from me. I could feel the stomach ache already coming on from the blow and it wasn't pleasant.

"Come on Maggie. Please just let us handle it." Scott begged.

"Either you take me or I call Sheriff Stilinksi and let him know you idiots are trekking through the woods looking for a killer." Maggie said crossing her arms over her chest. I had my hands on my knees as I glared at her.

"She's a narc too? Why do you want to be friends with her?" I spat feeling the pain move throughout my body.

"How about another one?" Maggie made a move toward me and I put my hands up before Scott stepped between us.

"Okay fine! You can come with us but you have to stay close!" Scott warned and I made a noise.

"Before she can come with us we need to tell her the secret." I said making Scott's face got white. I gestured for Maggie to follow me and I led her towards the door next to the exit.

"What secret?" She asked.

"Stiles, don't." Scott warned as I opened the door.

"Scott you know you can trust me." Maggie touched Scott's arm.

"That he can and I can trust that this will take you around 10 minutes at least to escape." I said catching her attention before shoving her into the supply closet and shutting the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" Scott asked me as Maggie started hitting the door.

"Call it insurance…maybe a side of payback." I explained jumping away from the door as she pounded her fist hard against the wood.

"She's going to kill you." Scott said as I gripped his arm.

"Not before we find this body." We hauled ass to my jeep and drove to the reserve but not before stopping and grabbing some shovels. I was determined to find this body and help my dad out.

**[Scott's POV]**

We had to sit and wait for Derek to leave before actually pulling up and parking. We left our phones in the jeep as we walked towards the fresh dirt. I got a strange feeling though.

"Wait something's different." I pointed out and Stiles looked at me.

"Different how?" He asked but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"I don't know. Let's just get this over with. Maggie is going to be pissed." I said.

"Are you seriously worried about that? There are more important things Scott." Stiles said walking towards the house.

"You know things would be a lot easier if you two just talked it out instead of putting her down." I said making Stiles stop in his tracks.

"Put her down? Did you miss that she nut-checked me in the hospital half an hour ago?" Stiles said incredulously.

"She's trying to find a way for you to remember what it was like to be friends again. When you used to say something insulting or stupid to her she'd hit you in the head. I guess over time her aim has changed." I tried to explain as Stiles stuck his shovel into the dirt.

"Forget about me and her being friends. How the hell are you planning on explaining the whole werewolf thing to her huh? None of us are kids anymore Scott. We've all changed. You think the weird girl we knew and loved is the same girl who prances around in dresses and flaunts herself to the lacrosse team?" Stiles asked and I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What are you talking about? She hasn't even met the team yet." I said confused as I helped him dig.

"She met Danny apparently and half the team wants to know her life story. Greenberg was practically jerking it in 1st period talking about her." Stiles said and I got a hint of jealously from him.

"Are you jealous?" I asked curiously and he looked at me like I had just asked him if he was Jackson's best friend.

"What? No! Why would I be jealous? They have no idea who she is." Stiles said hitting the dirt harder with his shovel.

"Just because she doesn't look the same doesn't mean she isn't the same person we trusted with our secrets. I…I want her to know about this curse. All the really important things in my life, I've managed to get through because I had you and Maggie supporting me. I've felt like I was missing a piece for all these years and now that she's back I want her to be able to fit right back where the piece belongs." I explained and Stiles sighed.

"And having a girl in your life has nothing to do with it?" Stiles questioned me and I shook my head.

"You think I get some sort of sick, twisted pleasure out of making her feel bad? I don't. She will never feel half as bad as I did when I begged the real estate lady who sold her house for the forwarding address so I could talk to her about my mom." Stiles said angrily as he shoveled.

"I didn't know you did that." I said just now hearing about his desperation.

"Well I try not to advertise my pathetic ugly crying in public." Stiles muttered.

"I'm sorry you lost them both man. I know that was really hard for you." I said knowing that I'd never truly feel Stiles pain because he lost his mom soon after Maggie had disappeared.

"Yeah well my mom didn't have a choice, Maggie did." Stiles continued to dig. We didn't talk much after that. I know we had to have been digging for at least an hour before I finally broke the silence.

"This is taking too long." I said hearing Stiles sigh.

"Just keep digging." He pressed.

"What if he comes back?" I asked anxiously.

"Then we get the hell out of here." Stiles said simply.

"What if he catches us?" I asked trying to get him to call off this search.

"I have a plan for that." Stiles said making me glance over at him.

"Which is?" I asked.

"You run one way and I run the other. Whoever he catches, too bad." Stiles explained making me stop my shoveling.

"I hate that plan." I said seeing Stiles roll his eyes.

"No plan is perfect." Stiles said when I got the sense we weren't alone.

"Shhh be quiet." I put my hand up and looked around. Stiles looked around as well and I suddenly saw a small figure moving quickly with a hoodie on.

"Stiles!" I said through gritted teeth and we both scrambled in the dirt hole before the small figure jumped on Stiles back.

"SCOTT! IT'S GOT ME. I THINK IT'S A MUNCHKIN!" Stiles screamed as the figure's hoodie came off. It was Maggie.

"Maggie! Let go! Stop it!" I pulled her off Stiles back and she kicked at him.

"What the hell was that!" Stiles asked rubbing his arm where her boot had made contact.

"You locked me in an organ closet!" She thrashed against me and I held her back.

"How the hell did you find us anyway?" Stiles asked continuing to rub the pain out of his arm.

"You have GPS on your phones idiot. You're lucky I'm not kicking you in your junk right now Stilinski. That was cruel even for you." Maggie said clearly upset.

"You made it out didn't you? Relax." Stiles raised his voice and it only made Maggie scramble.

"Both of you shut up before you get us caught." I yelled and Maggie finally stopped thrashing. Stiles had picked his shovel back up and glared at Maggie as he moved the dirt around. We all heard the sound of his shovel clinking against something.

"Wait I think I found something." We all bent down and started pushing the loose dirt around until some rope came through. Stiles started working on the knots not having much luck.

"Hurry." I rushed.

"I'm trying but did he have to tie the thing in like a hundred knots?" Stiles complained but Maggie moved his hands away and started working it out.

"I'm a girl, knots are my thing." She said undoing it quickly. We pulled the sack back to reveal what looked like a huge wolf. The three of us screamed and jumped out of the hole quickly.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!" Stiles yelled.

"It's a wolf!" I said just as confused.

"Yeah I can see that! I thought you said you could smell blood, as in human?" Stiles said and Maggie looked at me confused.

"Wait what? That doesn't make any sense." Maggie said looking back into the hole.

"No time to explain. We need to cover this up and get out of here." Stiles said scrambling to get the dirt back in the hole. I caught Maggie staring off at something before moving around to the other side of the hole to look at something.

"Maggie? What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Look." She pointed at the blue and purple flower planted near the hole.

"I think it's Wolfsbane." Stiles spoke up as Maggie moved down to touch it.

"It is Wolfsbane." She said still staring at it.

"What's Wolfsbane?" I asked making them both look at me.

"Haven't you ever seen The Wolfman? Lon Chaney Jr.?" Stiles asked and I shook my head.

"Claude Rains? Come on, the original werewolf movie. It's a classic." Maggie said as if I should already know.

"No! What is it?!" I finally asked getting annoyed with the both of them.

"You are so unprepared for this." Stiles said.

"Stiles…" Maggie said his name and he looked over at her. She had pulled the plant up and there was a rope attached to it.

"What the hell?" Stiles got up and went over to where Maggie was continuing to pull on the rope. Stiles took the rope from her and she followed behind him as he continued to ravel it. Suddenly the wolf turned into the body that I saw in the woods.

"St-stiles." I said catching his attention. He walked over and looked into the hole and jumped a bit.

"Whoa…" Was all he could manage.

"Was there not just an animal in there?" Maggie asked in shock.

"Mmhmm." I said.

"Now there's a woman in there." Maggie finished.

"Well half a woman." Stiles added.

"Can someone please explain to me why I feel like I just stepped into one of those Underworld movies?" Maggie looked at me and Stiles and I glanced over at Stiles who merely shrugged.

"I'm gonna go call my dad." Stiles walked away giving us some privacy.

"There's really no easy way to say it so I'll just say it..." I started and Maggie waited patiently for the answers.

"I'm...I'm a werewolf." I said making sure to watch her face closely.

"A werewolf." She repeated pursing her lips together.

"Yeah and apparently so was the girl they found in the woods." I added this time and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"So the guy that did all this is what? A werewolf Nazi?" Maggie asked.

"No he's actually a werewolf too. I'm not sure why he killed her." I corrected and she opened her mouth.

"Ah I see. Plot twist." Maggie shook her head, clearly not believing me.

"Maggie it's the truth." I stepped forward and she put her hands up. Stiles walked back up next to me.

"If you both hated me you could have just said so instead of making me think everything was okay between us." Maggie looked disappointed.

"Everything is okay between us, I swear." I pleaded but she shook her head.

"I hope you got a good laugh at my expense." Maggie shoved her hands in her pockets and turned on her heel.

"We just found half a body and you're going to go trekking through the woods? Really? That's incredibly unsafe and stupid." Stiles was cut off as she turned around.

"I don't want to play this game anymore. Feel free to make your snarky remark about me walking away after I leave." Maggie didn't say anything else as she walked past Stiles jeep. I was stunned and saddened that Maggie not only didn't believe me but thought I would go to so much trouble just to make her feel like a fool.

"Don't worry about her, she'll be fine." Stiles said and I just looked down at my feet. I knew Stiles was trying to make me feel better but I wasn't so sure he was right about Maggie being fine.


	4. Hard Truths

**[Stiles POV]**

After finding the other half of the body I was ecstatic to have helped my dad solve a case however Scott was still worrying about Maggie not believing him about his hairy situation. I wanted to see it for myself though so I drove out there in the morning before school and saw Scott trying to maintain a low profile as they put Derek in the back of the squad car. Scott met my eyes and looked like he was going to have a heart attack but I wanted to show Derek I wasn't afraid of him. I wanted answers and I wasn't afraid of getting them. I waited until there were no cops around before slipping into the passenger seat. Derek glared at me with piercing, murderous eyes.

"Just so you know I'm not afraid of you." I said instantly getting the intense vibe that he wanted to break through that cage and strangle me.

"Okay maybe I am. It doesn't matter. I just want to know something. That girl you killed, she was a werewolf, but a different kind. She could turn herself into an actual wolf and I know Scott can't do that. Is that why you killed her?" I asked and Derek continued to glare.

"Why are you so worried about me when it's your friend that's the problem? What do you think is going to happen when he shifts on the field? People will just keep cheering him on? I can't stop him from playing but you can." Derek said and I thought about how bad it would be if Scott full on wolfed out on the field. Derek leaned forward and I leaned back quickly. He smelled the air.

"Who else did you bring to my house?" Derek asked looking confused. Maggie came to mind instantly but before I could answer I was being pulled out of the car by my jacket.

"Ow ow ow." My dad had a hold of my arm tightly.

"There now stand. What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked as I fixed my jacket.

"I'm just trying to help." I defended.

"Okay well how about you help me understand how exactly you came across this?" He asked.

"We were looking for Scott's inhaler." I said covering.

"Which you dropped when?" He started interrogating me.

"The other night." I said quickly.

"The other night when you were looking for the first half of the body?" He asked and I started to get annoyed.

"Yes!" I answered.

"The night you told me you were alone and Scott was at home?" He had followed and I didn't think before I answered.

"Yes…no…ah crap." I sighed looking at my feet.

"So you lied to me." He sounded slightly disappointed but his annoyance was what was truly coming through.

"That depends on how you define lying." I countered.

"I define it as not telling the truth, how do you define it?" He asked me and I pulled a face.

"Reclining your body in a horizontal position." I said making him shake his head.

"Get the hell out of here." He waved me off and I tried to hurry off but he stopped me again.

"Stiles…what the hell happened to your neck?" He pulled my collar away and I felt the scratch that was there from when Maggie mauled me.

"Oh that's nothing. Maggie got mad at me and attacked me last night. No big deal." I brushed it off and he practically jumped towards me.

"You brought Maggie out here last night?! There's a wild animal on the loose and you drag her through the woods?" My dad completely jumped my case and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"First of all, I didn't bring her anywhere. She followed us out here. Despite her making you think we're besties, we're not. Second of all, you're _my_ dad! You should be more pissed she attacked me!" I gestured to the scratch.

"I don't care how upset you are with her you know how dangerous these woods are right now. How could you be so irresponsible?" I could feel people's eyes on me as my dad pretty much accosted me about Maggie.

"She's not my responsibility!" I raised my voice before turning on my heel and walking to the jeep. I knew I'd have to talk to him about my outburst later but I wasn't going to take it in front of all those people. Scott and I rode in silence for a moment.

"Sorry about-" I cut Scott off.

"Just start looking up things on your phone about Wolfsbane being used in burials." I said keeping my eyes on the road. He did as I asked but started to get fidgety.

"I can't find anything." He panted.

"Keep looking. Maybe it's like a ritual or something. Maybe they bury you as a wolf or maybe it's a special skill you have to learn." I said trying to throw ideas out there.

"I'll put it on to do list along with figuring out how the hell I'm going to play in this game tonight." Scott said.

"Maybe it's different for girl werewolves?" I threw out there.

"Okay! Stop it!" Scott said making me glance over at him.

"Stop what?" I asked.

"Stop saying werewolves! Stop enjoying this so much!" He looked like he was in pain.

"Are you okay?" I asked as he seethed through his teeth.

"NO! I'M NOT! I'M SO FAR FROM BEING OKAY IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY!" He yelled.

"Is this about Maggie not believing you because you can just forget about her-" I said placing my anger on Maggie but he squirmed in the seat.

"NO!" He shouted again.

"You're going to have to accept this Scott, sooner or later." I said trying to assert some acceptance in the mix.

"I CAN'T!" Scott said pulling at his shirt.

"Well you're gonna have to!" I shouted.

"NO! I CAN'T BREATHE!" Scott said before putting his hands on the ceiling of the jeep and growling.

"Whoa whoa! What's happening?!" I asked.

"Pull over!" Scott said.

"What's going on?!" I asked still driving. Scott started going through the bag and found the Wolfsbane.

"YOU KEPT IT!?" Scott asked.

"What was I supposed to do with it?!" I said looking over at him to see his eyes changing color.

"STOP THE CAR!" I pulled over immediately, grabbed the bag and chucked it as far as I could into the woods.

"Okay…okay we're all good." I said turning around and letting out a sigh of relief. It was a bit premature though considering I saw Scott's door was open and there was no sign of him.

"Scott?" I said looking around. We were not off to a good start at controlling his wolf for the game.

**[Maggie's POV]**

I had decided that I was going to try and stay away from Scott and Stiles for awhile. If they needed time to forgive me for leaving then I would give it to them. There's no point in pretending. I went on a walk getting familiar with the neighborhood again when I saw Allison taking the trash out. I didn't think she'd remember me so I kept walking.

"Maggie? Hey do you remember me from yesterday?" Allison approached me.

"Hey…yeah I remember you. Scott's favorite friend." I smiled slightly and she grinned.

"You look lost." She said looking around.

"I'm just trying to clear my head." I ran my hand through my hair and she frowned.

"Wanna talk about it? I'm a great listener." She said and I shook my head.

"No that's okay. I don't want to bother you." I said and she put her hand on my arm.

"It's really no bother. I'm new here too and I'd love to make a new friend. It's merely a bonus that you have the dirt on Scott." She smiled.

"I don't know about that." I guess she could tell something was bothering me because she looped her arm into mine and started pulling me towards her house.

"Look, Lydia is the only girl friend I've made here and I have a feeling I'm going to need at least one more if I plan on surviving here. Come in and we can talk about whatever is making you frown." Allison opened the front door of her house and I followed her in.

"Wow you have a really nice house." I said looking around. She must have been there for a few weeks considering how set up everything was.

"Thanks. I move around so much they all start to look the same to me." Allison said leading me up the stairs.

"Why do you move so much?" I asked curiously.

"My dad's job keeps moving every few years. I'm pretty much always the new girl." Allison opened the door to her room and I walked in to see boxes still lying about.

"Well then I guess you might know how I feel." I said thinking about Scott and Stiles. She sat in the chair in front of her computer and I sat on her bed.

"Did something happen with Scott and Stiles?" She asked tilting her head to the side.

"It's kind of complicated." I said and she sat waiting for me to speak. I let out a sigh and locked my fingers together.

"The three of us were inseparable as kids. I was sort of an awkward tomboy and Scott was the shy, quiet one. When his mom and dad got divorced it only made him even more withdrawn but since my dad had left my mom and I when I was 3, I helped him get through it." I explained.

"What about Stiles?" She asked.

"Stiles is…special. He did so many off the wall things when we were kids, people thought he was crazy but he's actually pretty smart. I remember once we built a tree house in his backyard and he wanted to add some sort of zip line and ended up being hung upside down in his underwear. We tried to explain it to him that it was pointless because zip lines are meant to go down not up but he was determined to get around the whole climbing the ladder bit." I smiled thinking of the memory and Allison laughed.

"It sounds like you guys had a lot of cool adventures as kids." Allison said.

"We did." I said getting lost in my thoughts.

"Why did you move?" Allison brought me back to earth and I sighed.

"One night my mom packed up the car and said we needed to get out of Beacon Hills. She said it was a family emergency and we needed to leave as soon as possible." I explained.

"That must have been terrifying as a kid." Allison said.

"It was but all I kept thinking was how I'd be leaving the boys behind without even getting to say goodbye. It broke my heart." I looked at Allison who frowned.

"It doesn't sound like you had much of a choice. You did what you had to do. I know what it's like to have to pick up and leave for your family. It sucks but it's not like you wanted to leave. I'm sure the boys know that. I'm just starting to really get to know Scott but he seems like a kind hearted guy." Allison said and I watched her get lost in thoughts of him.

"You really like Scott huh?" I said making her blush.

"Is it that obvious?" She scrunched her face and I laughed.

"Oh no, of course not." I said sarcastically.

"I don't know what it is about him I just…I love spending time with him." Allison said and I got these warm vibes in my chest. Since I was a kid I got physical signs from other people's emotions. I always figured it was because I was such a caring person but I knew it was because of my _affliction_.

"Scott is one of the most genuine people I've ever met and I can tell by the way he looks at you that you've got a hold on him." I said smiling at her.

"What about you? Got your eye on anyone special?" Allison asked and my mind went straight to Stiles. Her jaw dropped and she swatted my leg.

"You do! Who is it!? Does he go to school with us?" She asked and I stammered.

"I..he…" Before I could make a fool of myself my phone rang. Stiles number appeared and I got up from the bed.

"Saved by the phone. I'm going to run down and get a drink." She said with a laugh before leaving the room.

"What do you want Stiles?" I answered to a panting Stiles.

"Look you're the last person I would normally call in case of emergency but this is urgent. Have you seen anything of Scott in the last hour or so?" He asked frantically as I walked towards the window.

"Not since you both tried to make a fool out of me in the woods. Can't say I have." I said still irritated.

"I don't care what you believe but the situation is dire. Scott thought you should know because he thinks you're the same girl we used to tell all our secrets to but that's his mistake. I'm only calling to see if he's come by your house." Stiles said making me roll my eyes.

"I'm not even at home right now. I'm at Allison's." I said hearing him make a noise.

"GOOD! Stay there and watch out for Scott. He may look a little…different." Stiles said and I looked out the window.

"Different how?" I asked curiously.

"Different like pointy ears, fangs and a bit more hairy than usual." Stiles said and I clicked my tongue against my teeth.

"The werewolf thing is getting old Stiles. Are you guys really that-SWEET BABY JESUS!" My eyes caught sight of something crouched on the opposite roof adjacent to Allison's room.

"What? What is it?" Stiles asked as I stared at the thing.

"S-Scott?" I said in disbelief. He tilted his head sideways as he stared back at me.

"Is he there?!" Stiles asked anxious.

"I-it can't be." I shook my head and the creature frowned like it was upset. I put my hand on the window and watched him raise his head. He slowly went to put his hand against the glass and I knew it had to be Scott. When we were kids and his parents would argue, I'd see him standing in front of his bedroom window looking so alone but I would stand in my window and put my hand on the glass letting him know he wasn't alone. It was something only Scott would know.

"I grabbed you a soda." Allison returned to the room and I looked back at her before looking back at the window to see Scott gone. We heard the screech of tires outside and Allison ran to the window.

"Is that Scott?!" She asked before running down the steps.

"MAGGIE!" I heard Stiles yell in the phone.

"He's here." I said before hanging up. I ran after Allison to see her talking to Scott and who I assumed was her father. They all looked at me but I kept my eyes on Scott.

"Another new friend I take it?" Her dad asked.

"Yeah this is Maggie Carter. Maggie, this is my dad." Allison introduced us and I nodded.

"I-I've got to go. I'll see you later." I pulled my jacket around myself tighter.

"Aren't you coming to the game tonight?" Allison called after me but I didn't answer as I quickly made my way to the house. I heard someone's feet trying to catch up with me and I knew it was going to be Scott before he even spoke.

"Maggie! Maggie wait!" Scott finally jumped in front of me and I stopped keeping my eyes on my feet.

"Maggie please just talk to me. I'm sorry you had to see me like that but…do you believe me now?" Scott asked and I dared looking at his face again. This time there was no extra hair or pointy ears. It was just Scott. Doe eyed, crooked jawed Scott.

"I honestly don't know what to believe." I said honestly seeing the hurt on Scott's face.

"I didn't choose this, Mags. It just happened. I need you to believe me. I can't keep living like this with just Stiles knowing. I need both of my best friends." Scott reached for my hand and I stepped back.

"Please just…" I said biting my lip. I could feel an overwhelming wave of sadness crash against me and I knew it was Scott's emotions flooding my senses. I walked past Scott, up the sidewalk and into the house without looking back. I needed to explain what I saw in Allison's bedroom. I needed to justify what Scott was trying to tell me and I knew the only way I could do that was to open the door to the past. I ran up the stairs to my room and rooted under my bed for the suitcase I had hidden there. It was filled with all of my mother's belongings that I could pack before Karen brought me here. I needed answers and if I was going to get them anywhere it would be in my mom's things. I started rooting through the papers and books when I heard someone clear their throat.

"I thought you didn't want anything to do with that." Karen leaned against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I need answers." I said not looking at her.

"Answers to what?" Karen asked and I realized I couldn't exactly tell her that Scott may or may not be a werewolf.

"Why I feel what other people are feeling? Why I get so overwhelmed by emotions and bad feelings that I feel like I'm going to collapse? I thought if I didn't practice it, I wouldn't feel it but I do and it's getting stronger. I'm not some green faced, crackling witch-" Karen stepped into the room and cut me off.

"Neither was your mother. What we do cannot simply be defined by the cinema stereotypes Margret and you know that." I sighed at Karen's words.

"I'm sorry for saying the W word. You can put the full name back in the vault." I said as Karen sat down next to me.

"Those feelings that you get are supposed to be triggers. You can control them but you said you wanted nothing to do with it. We're healers, protectors of the supernatural realm and controllers of the four elements fighting against those that choose the life to destroy rather than create. We don't make love potions and fly on brooms. Being a witch is in your blood, it's your birth right." Karen knew I blamed this family legacy for my mother's murder and that's why I choose to put that life in a box when I moved back here but I knew how important that life was to my family.

"I'm just not ready for all that comes with that yet." I said simply and she nodded.

"Well I'll be here to help you along the way once you're ready." She said patting my shoulder. I looked back down at the books and didn't see the one I needed.

"Can I ask you a question without you asking one in return?" I looked over at her and she squinted her eyes.

"Sure what's the question?" She answered.

"I don't know much about the supernatural realm but I know that witches exist. What else is out there?" I asked and she made a face like she was flooded with ideas.

"That's a very loaded question but I something that might give you some insight to some of the things out there besides us." She walked out of my room and I heard her go up the stairs towards the attic. I wasn't allowed in the attic until I had agreed to start learning the craft so I sat impatiently waiting. I rubbed my pendant and felt some of the stress melt away. Some days I felt like whenever I rubbed the pendant my mom would somehow be the one to pull all the stress or worry out of my heart and ease my pain. I let go of the pendant as Karen returned and handed me a old, worn brown book. I flipped the cover open and read the title.

"Realm of Superior Being's…how old is this thing?" I asked feeling the dust come right off the book onto my fingertips.

"Trust me if it walks the Earth or has ever made its presence known then it's in this book. Just make sure this stays with you. It's important that you keep what we are under wraps. There is enough crazy in the world and we don't need protestors or reporters on the front lawn trying to stone us." Karen said making me look up at her.

"I'm joking, God you kids are so tense these days." Karen left the room and I took a breath before opening the book. There wasn't some sort of index I could look up werewolves in so I had to skim the pages. My phone went off a few times and I knew it was Scott the first couple of times so I didn't bother answering. I got a text from Allison and that's when I realized I was late to the game. I let out a frustrated sigh as my uncle Louis walked by the door.

"Aren't you supposed to be at some game?" He said holding onto the door frame.

"Yeah I'm running late." I ran my hand through my hair and he glanced at the book in my lap.

"No wonder your aunt was thrilled. Finally decided to start learning your craft?" Louis walked into the room.

"Sort of, I was actually looking for something and I can't seem to find it. These books should have an index." I said making Louis laugh.

"Yeah something tells me the people that recorded these creatures weren't really thinking of cataloging it. What specifically are you looking for?" Louis teased.

"It's stupid. Forget it." I closed the book and Louis sat down.

"Maggie, there are creatures in here that exist for the sole purpose of being gassy in order to provide foul fragrance to the Earth. Nothing you could come up with is stupid." Louis asked making me feel less worried about just asking. Louis wasn't a witch but he knew what our family was and supported it.

"I was looking for the chapter on…on werewolves." I watched his face freeze rather quickly.

"Is…is this about your mother?" Louis asked and I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What? No I just…wait what do werewolves have to do with my mother?" I asked and he shook his head.

"I don't know what the sudden curiosity with werewolves is but you should keep it under wraps around your aunt. It's a very sensitive subject." He got up from the bed and made like he was going to leave.

"It's important Louis! I need to know more. Please…I won't mention it to Karen if you just point me in the right direction." I begged from my place on the bed. He gripped the doorframe with his back still to me before turning around and looking at me.

"Only if you promise me that you won't go seeking out battles that aren't meant for you to fight. This is very important Maggie. The world is full of creatures but werewolves are unpredictable and that makes them dangerous. The lifestyle of a wolf pack is all about power and control. The last thing you want to get caught in the middle of is a power struggle. Promise me." Louis pointed at me and I looked at how serious his demeanor had become. It was disconcerting but I nodded my head at him.

"I promise." I said holding his eye contact. He walked over and opened the book without even looking at the pages before walking back towards the door.

"Remember that no knowledge comes without a price." Louis said before walking out of the room. I looked down at the page and the first thing my eyes met was a picture of a giant wolf standing on its legs like a human would. I read the pages over and over again learning as much as I could until I realized there was a good 200 pages worth of material on werewolves in just this book. I looked over on my dresser at the picture of Scott, Stiles and I as kids and realized a truth I wasn't sure I could handle. My best friend was cursed.

**[Scott's POV]**

I couldn't get my head in the game after that run in with Maggie and Allison. Stiles walked into the locker room and stopped when he saw me.

"There you are. Maggie said she saw you and then hung up on me. Add that to the list of reasons why she's such an awesome friend. Rude much?" Stiles threw his bag down next to me and started adjusting his pads. I tried texting Maggie again but she still hadn't responded to the other two that I sent.

"Why so glum?" Stiles asked walking over towards me.

"Maggie saw me." I said with a sigh.

"Well I'd hope so with eyes as big as hers. Sometimes I think she's an alien." I looked over at Stiles and he realized I was being serious.

"She saw me as…you know." I whispered and Stiles jaw dropped.

"Oh…well I guess she believes you now huh?" Stiles hit my shoulder and I shook my head.

"I think she's scared of me. I thought if she saw me as that, she would know I wasn't lying to her but it only backfired. She's never going to want to talk to me again." I admitted sadly. If I couldn't tell Maggie my dark secret then how was I supposed to tell my mom or Allison?

"You've got other things you need to worry about, like not wolfing out in front of the town. Maggie is one person. There are tons out there now." Stiles pointed out not helping my nerves.

"I thought you'd be trying to talk me out of playing in this game." I said honestly.

"I just hope you know what you're doing." Stiles said with a sigh.

"If I don't play I lose my spot on first line and Allison." I said but Stiles groaned.

"Allison's not going anywhere and its one game you really don't need to play." Stiles argued and I looked at him.

"I wanna play! I wanna be on the team and I wanna go out with Allison. I want my best friends to get back to the way we used to be and have a semi-freaking normal life." I let out some of the built up frustration and Stiles just frowned at me.

"I get it man." Stiles sat down next to me on the bench.

"Just try not to worry too much when you're out there or get too angry or stressed." Stiles ran down the list.

"I got it." I said finishing up my pads.

"Don't think about Allison being in the stands or that her father's trying to kill you or that Derek's trying to kill you or the girl he killed or you killing someone if a hunter doesn't kill you first-" I cut my eyes at Stiles who realized he was babbling.

"I'm sorry…good luck." Stiles got up quickly and I hit my head against the lockers.

"Please let this work." I whispered to myself as we all ran out towards the field. Jackson kept cutting his eyes at me and I just shook it off. I glanced into the stands and saw my mom who had a bright smile on her face. Sheriff Stilinksi was there too waving at Stiles. I scanned the crowd for Maggie when I was jerked forward by my jersey.

"SCOTT! I just want you to remember one thing for tonight." Lydia said a little too close for comfort.

"Uh winning isn't everything?" I said as Stiles looked at me a bit jealous.

"Nobody likes a loser." She smiled patting me on the chest and walking towards the stands. I saw Allison almost immediately and smiled. She gave me a little wave and I waved back. They blew the whistle and I ran out on the field to get in my position taking a deep breath.

"Please let this be okay." I said to myself. I kept silently praying to myself as the game kicked off but it only took me a few minutes in to realize my team was actually playing against me. I was the only one open and the rather pass it to the other team then me but the moment I actually did get the ball I was shoved from behind by Jackson. I could feel the confusion from the crowd but the excitement that we had scored. I looked over when I heard Allison cheering and saw her holding a We Luv U Jackson' poster. That was enough to make my blood boil slightly. I let out a groan and kept playing until I heard Danny's voice.

"But what if he's open?" He asked looking at Jackson.

"Who's the captain?" Jackson reminded him.

"I just wanna win!" Danny said.

"We will win!" Jackson insisted.

"But-" Jackson cut him off.

"What did I say?" He seethed at Danny.

"Don't pass to McCall." Danny said with protest. Jackson hit his chest and they broke up the little huddle they had going. Now I was pissed. I could feel my wolf trying to get out of me but I tried breathing through it.

"Are you okay kid?" The ref asked me and I just nodded. Allison was now helping Lydia hold another sign in support of Jackson and I looked away ready to turn this game around. The moment the whistle blew again I went for the ball. I jumped over a player on the other team and managed to scoop the ball with my stick before taking off down the field. I juked one, then another, then another, I was tearing up the field cradling the ball like it was a bomb needing to be disposed of before getting to the net and launching it into the net, scoring. The crowd went wild and I could hear Coach telling the team to pass me the ball.

The next time the other team gets the ball all I had to do was stare at the guy and he tossed me the ball like it was no big deal. This time I chucked the ball so hard it tore through the mitt. I could feel the wolf rising quickly and I was starting to lose control when I glanced off to the side and finally spotted Maggie. She was standing with her hands to her mouth steadily chanting something. I tried to focus on her words, her smell, anything to bring myself back down.

_Just. Breathe._

I tried doing what she said before glancing at the clock to see there was only about a minute left in the game. I had to hold on until then. They placed the ball down and Jackson surprisingly passed it to me. I started running and the animal instinct in me just took off. I could only see red as I made my way down the field seeing the other players is mere obstacles. In my head I was screaming NO! but I didn't have much of a choice as the clock started to tick down. I could see the terror in the other player's eyes right before I threw the ball into the net with incredible force and winning the game. While everyone cheered I could feel my claws tearing through my glove. I ran for the locker room and kept trying to talk myself out of changing. I punched the lockers and tried to get my pads off of me as I walked towards the bathroom. I groaned aloud as I leaned over the sink, looking up and seeing the monster that I was. I punched the mirror shattering the image before I heard her voice.

"Scott…are you in here?" It was Allison. I panicked and tried to pull myself out of this change as quickly as I could. She continued to search for me and I could smell her fear.

"Scott?" She hid for a moment before walking towards the showers. I finally managed to pull myself together when she walked up and put her hand on my back.

"Are you alright? You scared me." She admitted and I turned around looking at her.

"Yeah…sorry I got kind of light headed." I covered.

"Maybe it was the adrenaline? You were pretty amazing out there." She smiled at me and I felt everything in my stomach unclench.

"Sorry for acting weird today." I said.

"It's okay. I can handle weird." She said making me feel comfortable.

"To be totally honest you make me kinda nervous, like really nervous." I admitted.

"I do?" She laughed.

"Yeah, I just really want to make sure I get my second chance." I said seeing her face ease.

"You already have it. I'm just waiting for you to take it." She said backing up, inciting me to make the first move.

"Well maybe I need to learn to take more chances." I said stepping towards her.

"Maybe you do." She answered before I closed the space between us meeting her lips with my own. I felt a shock run through my and an instant radiating warmth run from my spine to my chest like I was being electrocuted but in the best way possible. When she pulled away she giggled.

"I gotta get back to my dad." She smiled at me taking my hands.

"Okay." I said completely out of breath. She kissed me once more before letting go of my hands.

"Hi Stiles." She said letting me know Stiles was in the room.

"Hey yeah." Stiles waved at her as she left. I walked out towards Stiles with a goofy grin on my face.

"I kissed her." I said feeling the excitement afterglow still pumping through my veins.

"I saw." Stiles said.

"She kissed me!" I said confirming that Allison and I indeed had kissed.

"I saw that too. Pretty good stuff huh?" Stiles said as I tried to find words to say.

"I-I don't know how but I controlled it. I thought I had it on the field when I saw Maggie and listened to her but then I just lost it and somehow managed to pull it together when I thought about how horrible it was for Maggie to see me wolfed out. I don't want Allison to ever see that. Maybe I can actually control this." I said sighing with relief but I could feel the tension coming off of Stiles.

"Yeah, we'll talk later then." He patted my arm and I stopped him.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The medical examiner looked at the other half of the body we found." Stiles rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"And?" I said.

"Well I'll keep it simple: medical examiner determines bites on girl not human but animal, Derek's human not animal, Derek not killer, Derek let out of jail." Stiles said making my stomach go instantly back to knots.

"Are you serious?!" I asked.

"Yeah and here's a bigger kick in the ass, my Dad ID'ed the body. It's Laura Hale, Derek's sister." Stiles said biting his lip.

"Oh crap, we're so dead." I ran my hands through my hair and pulled on it.

"Dude." Stiles said hitting me. I followed his gaze and saw Maggie standing there.

"Hey-" I started but she put her hand up stopping me.

"Just listen okay?" She said softly and I nodded.

"I'm sorry for running away from you earlier. I would never want you to think that I was afraid or appalled of you. I didn't know how to react to what I saw but the one thing that never left my mind was that it was still you underneath it all." Maggie said as Stiles and I stood there in silence. She stepped closer to us.

"Look, I did some research and…I believe you. But I have a lot of questions that need to be answered, no more lying. I'm done with lying. If you promise to be completely honest with me about all of this then I will do everything I can to help. Can you promise me that?" She asked looking at me directly. I heard Stiles huff under his breath and quickly answered her.

"Yes! Absolutely, I promise." I said. Stiles jaw dropped and I knew he was about to blow this.

"Wh-" I cut him off.

"Shut up." I hit his chest with my hand and he shook his head.

"Fine." Stiles threw his hands up before closing his mouth for once. Maggie nodded at me before backing out of the locker room and leaving Stiles and I standing there.

"Am I aloud to talk now?" Stiles asked as I sat down on the bench.

"If you must." I said letting my head fall into my hands.

"How is it fair that she comes back after ditching us for 6 years and demanding answers when we still haven't gotten one for why she bailed in the first place?" Stiles asked throwing his arms out again.

"I thought you didn't care what her excuse was for leaving?" I asked seeing his face screw up.

"I-I don't. I could care less why she left. I'm not the one who wants to be friends with her again, that's you. I just don't think she's in the position to demand things." Stiles was lying but for the first time I actually got hope out of a lie.

"What? Why are you smiling?" He asked as I stood up.

"For a second, you forgot I was a werewolf and could hear your heart beating." Stiles swallowed hard as I patted his chest.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Stiles brushed me off and I laughed.

"You're lying. Everything you just said was a lie which means two things." I pointed out as he threw his pads off.

"That I enjoy lying to you?" Stiles pitched.

"No that not only do you want answers as to why Maggie left but you still care about her." I smiled when I said it and Stiles glared at me.

"Keep it up Scott and I'll switch teams. I'm sure Allison's dad could use a spunky assistant werewolf slayer." Stiles said with annoyance in his tone. Despite Derek being on the loose and the still lingering threat of Allison's family trying to slaughter me I felt at ease. I've never felt stronger then when Stiles and Maggie were at my sides.


	5. Loose Lips Sink Ships

**[Maggie's POV]**

"Dammit." I said out loud for the millionth time today. After Scott had rehashed the story of how Derek Hale bit him in the woods infecting him with the curse of the wolf, I had been reading nonstop through the books Karen had given me which was giving me paper cuts every few pages.

"You know it's supposed to do that right?" I looked up to see Karen smiling and snapped the book shut.

"Destroy my hands?" I asked and she walked in.

"The book is binding you to it by blood. Without our blood these can't be read or understood by anyone else." Karen looked down at my hands.

"That's very Harry Potter but I'll accept it." I said as she reached for another book.

"Start reading this one. It'll help with the cuts." I looked at the book and knew Karen was trying to start my training without me realizing.

"Shamanic Healing and Ritual Healing Methods? Does this require blood as well because as you can see I'm running out of Scooby Doo band aids." I said making her laugh.

"No this one requires different elements but most importantly a focused mind." She held my hands tightly and I watched her lips move to chant something under her breath before removing her hands. She stared at me for a moment and I felt the cuts on my hands get warm slightly before there was no pain at all.

"You can take the band aids off now." She said smiling. I looked at her baffled before removing them to see the cuts were gone.

"That's…unreal. How did you-" She cut me off before thrusting the book at me.

"You need to get to school. Try not to be too late." Karen said before leaving me standing there astonished. I ran downstairs and made a makeshift book cover so I could take the book with me to school without it being noticed before grabbing my bag and starting towards the bus. I knew I missed it when I waited for 10 minutes and it never showed up. I started walking in the direction of school and reading at the same time.

_"The capability to heal through incantation and earthly elements is only capable through strong belief and natural remedies derived from blessed ashes, herbs or human sacrifice. "_

I was startled by a honk from the street and looked up to see Sheriff Stilinski in his squad car.

"Hey Maggie do you need a ride?" He offered and I smiled.

"I don't want to trouble you." I said but he waved his hand at me.

"You've met Stiles, do you honestly think you're trouble for me?" He said making me laugh. I walked around the car and got in.

"I appreciate you giving me a ride. I'm working on figuring out a more permanent form of transportation since trying to catch the bus is not working out for me." I said knowing that I was going to have to invest in buying my own car if I couldn't manage to catch the bus every morning.

"Maybe Stiles could…" We looked at each other and he sighed.

"It's okay. I understand how he feels. I'm giving him time to forgive me and if he doesn't then I will have to cope with losing a really good friend." I said looking down at my hands.

"You know, I talked to your uncle before you arrived here. He told me all the trouble you were having and I'm truly sorry to hear about your family, especially your mom. She was a great woman." I looked over and saw the sincerity on Sheriff Stilinski's face and I wondered just how much he knew.

"What...exactly did he tell you?" I asked as we pulled up to a stop light.

"We don't have to get into that Maggie." He said politely. I guess he didn't want to get me worked up before school but my curiosity drove me.

"Did he tell you how?" I asked as we pulled up to the school and he let out a sigh.

"I just don't want you to worry about anything okay? You're safe here." He tried reassuring me and I just felt somewhat of a burden.

"Thank you for the ride Sheriff. I truly appreciate it." I opened the door and he smiled.

"Anytime." He said before I shut the door. I held my book close to my chest trying to shake the feeling of added pressure now that I knew Sheriff Stilinski knew about my family it was only a matter of time before Stiles and Scott knew.

"I've never had a dream where I woke up sweaty and out of breath." I heard Scott's voice as I walked through the hall and prayed he didn't notice me.

"I have but usually it ends a little differently." Stiles said giving way too much information.

"Please never give me that much detail about you in bed ever again. Hey Maggie!" Scott called out to catch up with me and I gripped the book tighter.

"Hey I wanted to talk to you about something. I had an insane dream last night about Allison." Scott said as I got to my locker.

"If it's got anything to do with you waking up hot and bothered I'd prefer not knowing." I said keeping my eyes on the lock as I put the combo in.

"No I sort of wolfed out on her and-" Scott lowered his voice when he talked.

"He killed her." Stiles finished.

"I don't know that. I just know it was on one of the school buses and everything was fine one minute but the next it was like something took over." Scott explained as I switch my books out to get my chemistry book.

"It was just a dream Scott. I'm sure she's fine." I said simply.

"I-I know it's just…it felt so real and I'm just trying to figure out a way to control this and be with her at the same time." Scott sounded so hopefully.

"Well you're doing pretty well without having taken a werewolf for beginners course." Stiles patted him on the back.

"Not a class but maybe a teacher." Scott looked away from Stiles who huffed.

"Who?! Derek!? Did you forget the part where we got him thrown into jail?" Stiles smacked Scott upside the head.

"Yeah! I know but chasing her, dragging her to the back of the bus, it all just felt so real. Hey what about your mom?" Scott said gesturing to me and my attention snapped to them immediately.

"What about my mom?" I snapped.

"Remember after my dad left how I had all those nightmares and when Stiles ate those mushrooms in your backyard and started to freak out?" Scott pointed out.

"I was having the weirdest dreams for like a week." Stiles added.

"What do those two completely unrelated incidents have to do with my mom?" I asked sounding more annoyed then I had intended.

"She was able to tell us what our dreams meant. She was always really good at it. Could you ask her for me?" Scott asked and I felt a pain sear through my chest. I gripped my pendant before snapping back out of the pain and shutting my locker quickly.

"No." I started to walk away from them but they were hot on my heels.

"What? Did you run away and stop talking to your mom too?" Stiles joked and I stopped and looked at him like he'd just slapped me in the face.

"No but it's hard to talk to someone who's dead but the moment I figure out how to do that, I'll be sure to let you know." I spat nastily before shoving out the doors. The first thing I saw was a bus that looked like something had been torn apart inside.

"Maggie wa-" Scott was running out after me and ran into my back as his eyes caught sight of what was in front of us.

"Our worst reality is realizing our choices in dreams are defined by the person we are when we're awake." I said without even looking at him. Stiles walked out behind him and looked at the bus.

"Call Allison." He said as Scott dug through his pocket to find his phone. I turned around to walk back inside but Stiles cleared his throat trying to get my attention. His mouth moved like he was trying to say something but I just shook my head before walking to class. I was one of the first to arrive and Mr. Harris sat me in the back of the class.

_"Attention students this is your principal. I know you're all wondering about the incident that occurred last night to one of our buses but while the police work to determine what happened classes will proceed as scheduled. Thank you."_

The announcement came over the loud speaker as other students walked in.

"If it isn't my stylish neighbor." I turned to the voice and saw Danny walk in with Jackson on his side.

"Hey." I said timidly before looking back in my book.

"I thought you said new girl was outgoing?" Jackson said with a snip.

"Perhaps nothing in the room has caught my attention." I challenged making Danny laugh and Jackson sneer.

"Well I see why Lydia thinks you're a pain. Sarcasm isn't cute, sweetheart. It's for ugly girls." Jackson sat down in front of Danny and I rolled my eyes as the rest of the class settled in. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked back to see Scott.

"Hey can we talk?" Scott asked with Stiles standing nervously at his side.

"Not unless you want detention Mr. McCall. You and Mr. Stilinski take a seat." Mr. Harris said as the bell rang. They both hesitated for a moment before sitting down within ear shot of me.

"Did you know anything about her mom dying?" Scott whispered to Stiles.

"Are you kidding? My dad said she was coming back but he didn't say that it was because her mom died. How would I possibly know that?" Stiles defensively.

"Maybe if you stopped being a douche for like five seconds." Scott said with a huff.

"I may not like her but I wouldn't intentionally take a shot at her about her mom if I knew. Come on man." Stiles raised his voice slightly seeming a bit offended Scott even suggested he would do such a thing.

"Mr. Stilinski if that's your idea of a hushed whisper you might want to pull the headphones out once in awhile. I think you and Mr. McCall would benefit from some distance, yes?" Mr. Harris said drawing attention to Stiles outburst.

"No." Stiles disagreed but he pointed to the seat across from me making me silently curse him. Scott moved to the front of the class and Stiles eyed me as he settled into his new seat. I kept my eyes on my note book as I worked on filling out the worksheet.

"I'm sorry I said what I said. I didn't know." Stiles breathed.

"Doesn't matter right? It doesn't change that you hate me. In a way I guess you could call it karma. I wasn't there for you when your mom died and no one was there for me when mine died." I said without even looking up.

"Don't." Stiles said through gritted teeth making me look up at his face. He looked almost disgusted.

"Despite feeling the way I feel about you, don't try and make me out to be someone who would ever wish that pain on someone else. I may be pissed off and bitter but I knew your mom too." Stiles shook his head at me and I watched his face closely. I did know better than to think Stiles was some heartless monster who would consider losing my mom some sort of payment for abandoning him when he lost his but he had no idea what truly happened to my mom.

"Hey look! I think they found something!" The girl sitting next to Scott said making everyone run towards the windows. I stood next to Scott.

"Did you find Allison?" I whispered.

"Yeah she's fine." He whispered back as we watched the paramedics wheel a bloodied man out on a stretcher.

"That's not a rabbit." Scott said as I felt Stiles breathing heavily on the back of my neck as I stood in front of him. The man on the stretcher screamed to attention making all of us in the classroom jump back. I felt Stiles hands grip my waist and when I looked back at him he let go quickly.

"Ah okay. Uh this is good. This is good! He got up. He's not dead. Dead guys can't do that." Stiles pointed out and I saw Scott's face turn pale.

"I did that." Scott admitted and I stepped closer to him gripping his shirt.

"I'll do some research at lunch time but you need to go see Derek and get to the bottom of this." I said moving around him.

"W-wait what?! That's a horrible idea and since when do you call the shots here? There isn't exactly a werewolf dream book lying around for you to research." Stiles said following me back to the table.

"I've got my sources okay just leave it to me." I said firmly as I sat down.

"Well this I'll have to see." Stiles sat down in front of me and I looked up at him.

"No." I said seeing his face twist up.

"What? Why not? I thought you wanted to be an honest team or whatever?" Stiles said throwing up air quotes and I crossed my arms over my books leaning on the table.

"Honestly I really don't want to spend added time with you today. You be the best friend that watches his back and makes sure he doesn't have to question anyone else's suspicious mauling and I'll be the best friend that looks for some sort of connection as to why Scott would be so sure it was him that attacked that guy. Sound good?" I said strongly seeing that he didn't appreciate my tone. I sat back and kept my head down in my book. I could feel his glare the rest of the class but I didn't care. The comment he made about my mom still hurt despite the fact that he apologized and Scott still needed help so if I just made myself scarce it would be better. I also really didn't want to have a conversation about my mom today. Once the bell rang I was the first one out the door but as I was rounding the corner, Scott managed to chase me down.

"Hey, we need to talk." Scott said softly holding onto the corner of my elbow.

"I'm going to ditch my next class to run home and grab something." I said trying to hurry away.

"You'll get detention." Scott said and I let out a sigh.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. I didn't plan on going to that third wheel date anyway." I said with a faded smile.

"I really want to talk about-" I cut him off.

"Scott! Please just…let it go for now. I don't want to talk about it here okay?" I begged and he just frowned before pulling me to his chest and hugging me tightly. I knew why he was hugging me and after a few moments I relaxed into him and hugged him back. I could have used this hug two years ago but I tried to keep it together for Scott's sake. It took the bell ringing for him to finally let go.

"You know I love you right? You're my best friend, always have been and always will be." Scott said holding onto my shoulders. I nodded at him and gave a true smile this time.

"Get to class, Scotty. I'll see you later." I kissed his cheek before leaving him standing there as I made my way out of the school. I needed to get back to the house and read up on why Scott could possibly be having such a strong connection to what happened in the bus before the guilt overwhelmed him.

**[Scott's POV]**

My brain was completely scrambled between thinking about that dream I had that apparently spilled over into reality and finding out about Maggie's mom. We hadn't really talked about why she came back to Beacon Hills but I never would have thought it was because her mom died. The thought of her dealing with that alone made my chest feel heavy. After my parents got divorced and my dad left, Maggie was the one person I knew understood how I felt since her dad had done the same to her. Now it was like she lost both her parents. The thought of losing my mom made me overwhelmed with sadness.

"Dude snap out of it. You've got to focus on the bigger picture here." Stiles said as we walked towards the lunch tables.

"How can I focus on anything with all that's going on right now when I may or may not have attack some random guy, I've still got a date with Allison tonight and I can't stop thinking about Maggie's mom." I said out of breath as I plopped down.

"Dreams aren't memories Scott. We don't know for sure that you were even-" I cut Stiles off.

"Something happened last night and I can't remember what." I said too frustrated to actually eat.

"What makes you so sure Derek even has all the answers?" He challenged.

"Because during the full moon he was in complete control. He didn't even change while I was running around in the middle of the night attacking some totally innocent guy." I said seeing Stiles roll his eyes.

"You don't know that!" Stiles pointed out.

"I don't not know that. I have to cancel my date with Allison." I said disappointed but Stiles shook his head.

"No you're not cancelling. You can't just cancel your entire life. We'll figure it out." Stiles said bringing my mind back to Maggie.

"I just hope Maggie finds something." I leaned my head on my hand and Stiles huffed.

"You know just because she's all A-OK with you being a werewolf doesn't mean she knows anymore about the situation then I do. I mean where does she think she's going to find facts that I haven't already looked for? When did she suddenly become the expert?" Stiles said bitterly.

"She's only trying to help. Maybe her mom had some sort of dream book or something and that's what she's looking for. I'm sure she'll let you-" He cut me off.

"No she said she didn't want my help. NO wait that's not right. She actually said she'd prefer to not see my face any more today. Exact words. She's unbelievable." Stiles scowled putting his drink to his lips.

"Who's unbelievable?" Lydia plopped herself down next to me and Stiles went completely dumbfounded.

"Uh no one. It's just a friend of ours." I covered as Stiles leaned across the table.

"Why is she sitting with us?" He asked in disbelief. I could only shake my head before more of Lydia's friends started to sit down at our table. I looked to my right and saw Allison standing there. I quickly moved my bag out of the chair and smiled at her.

"Hey thanks for saving me a seat. Where's Maggie?" Allison asked.

"Oh God please tell me that you aren't seriously friends with that wretch?" Lydia piped up.

"Lydia!" Allison said almost choking on her water.

"Scott's friends with her. I'm not." Stiles said making me glare at him.

"McCall has more than one friend? Shocking. Get up." Jackson said looking at Brian who was sitting in the chair between Danny and Lydia.

"How come you never ask Danny to get up?" Brian asked.

"Because I don't stare at his girlfriend's coin slot." Danny said with a smile making Brian get up and forfeit his seat to Jackson.

"Lydia, could you please just drop the whole Maggie thing? Scott is really good friends with her." Allison said putting her hand on my arm. I felt an instant warmth under her touch.

"Well I think she's a gank but if he wants to stay in loserdom his whole life that's his choice I suppose." Lydia turned her nose up at me.

"She's really not that bad. I think she's actually pretty sweet." Danny added surprising me. I didn't know they had even met.

"She's a know-it-all with a big mouth. The whole cute little sweetheart thing is an act, trust me." Stiles sipped his juice.

"I'm liking you more by the minute." Lydia said with a smile in Stiles direction causing him to drop his water and trying to recover it before spilling it everywhere.

"Who even cares about this chick?" Jackson said and I whipped my head in his direction.

"I do." I said firmly and I could feel everyone's eyes on me.

"Let's change the subject please?" Allison said as I tried to calm myself.

"How about the guy who got mauled on the bus? I heard he was barely alive when they found him." Danny said making my nerves go raw again.

"That's horrible. Do they have any idea what happened to him?" Allison asked sounding concerned. I wonder what she'd think of me if she knew I might be the one who tore that poor guy to shreds.

"To do that kind of damage it'd have to be a cougar or something." Brian spoke up catching Jackson's attention.

"I heard it was a mountain lion." He added.

"A cougar is a mountain lion...I think." Lydia corrected Jackson but quickly pulled back when he gave her a strange look.

"Who cares? The guy's probably some homeless tweeker who's going to die anyway." Jackson said making my stomach do a back flip.

"Actually I just found out who it is, check it out." Stiles said pulling up his phone. It was a police report on the news.

_"The Sheriff's department won't speculate on the details of the incident but confirmed the victim, Garrison Meyers did survive the attack. Meyers was taken to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition."_

The moment the reporter said the name and showed a picture of the guy I knew I knew who he was.

"I-I know this guy!" I said looking up at Stiles in a panic.

"You do?" Allison asked.

"Yeah when I used to take the bus when I lived with my dad, he was the driver." I explained remembering the brief time that my dad spent here in Beacon Hills after him and my mom divorced before he disappeared completely from our lives leaving my mom high and dry to support the both of us.

"Can we please talk about something more fun like where are we going tomorrow night?" Lydia said looking over at Allison and I. I looked over at Allison slightly confused.

"You said you and Scott were hanging out tomorrow night right?" Lydia asked Allison who looked like she was choking slightly.

"Uh yeah we were thinking of what we were going to do." Allison glanced at me and I still didn't truly know what was going on.

"Well I'm not sitting home another night watching lacrosse videos so if the four of us are hanging out we're doing something fun." Lydia said making my eyes go wide once I realized she was talking about a double date with her and Jackson.

"Hanging out like the four of us? Do you want to like hang out with us and them?" I looked over at Allison who's eyes were just as wide as mine.

"Yeah I guess. I mean that sounds fun." Allison glanced between me and Lydia and Stiles let out a choked resistance as he shook his head.

"You know what else sounds fun? Stabbing myself in the face with this fork." Jackson said looking at Allison and gesturing towards me with an arrogant smirk.

"How about bowling? You love to bowl." Lydia suggested trying to talk Jackson into it.

"Yeah with actual competition." Jackson said making Allison lean forward.

"How do you know we're not actual competition?" She challenged. I kept looking over at Stiles who was physically pained by the situation.

"You can bowl right?" Allison asked me.

"Sort of." I said knowing that the last time I played was actually at Maggie's birthday party when I was 8.

"Is it sort of or yes?" Jackson pushed his tray from in front of him and leaned on the table testing me.

"Yes! In fact I'm a great bowler." I said testing him right back. Stiles choked on his lunch knowing I had just blatantly lied and it caught Allison's attention.

"Great then we are on for bowling. Stiles, you should come too. Bring Maggie and make it a triple date." Allison suggested and Stiles and Lydia both snorted.

"Um excuse me? I don't think so." Lydia spoke up.

"I'm going to have to agree with Lydia. I can barely stand being around Maggie on a tolerance level let alone go on any kind of date with her." Stiles added.

"Maybe it will give you guys some time to talk things out?" Allison suggested.

"There's nothing to talk out. She's a selfish pretender who doesn't care about anyone but herself." Stiles said cruelly and I pushed my tray away standing up.

"Where are you going?" Allison asked quickly.

"I've got to go. I'll call you later." I said glaring at Stiles who hurriedly got up from the table and followed me out.

"Dude what the hell? You almost left me with them! What the hell was all that anyway? You suck at bowling." I turned around to face Stiles once we were out of earshot from people.

"You want to hate Maggie, fine whatever but don't go bad mouthing her in front of people. She is trying to get a fresh start here and you're making her sound like some sort of super villain. She used to save your ass from Jackson way back when if you don't remember correctly." I seethed seeing how stunned he was that I was snapping at him.

"Look I don't need Lydia thinking I'm somehow dating Maggie-" I cut him off.

"Lydia is just looking for someone to put her down with her. Think about it man! She showed you attention for 2.5 seconds because you both share a dislike for someone. Does that sound like something to base a meaningful relationship on?" I said seeing his contempt.

"Any kind of relationship would be okay with me. Besides if I were you I'd be more worried that Allison wants to just hang out now instead of date. Once you start hanging out, you'll practically be her gay best friend. You and Danny can start hanging out." Stiles said making me consider Allison's words. I knew he was changing the subject but I hated fighting with him.

"I hate this. I hate being weighed down with all this added crap in my head." I spoke unconsciously.

"I don't think Danny likes me very much." Stiles wasn't even listening to me anymore.

"I probably killed some guy, Allison is moving me in the friend zone and you are pretty much launching a war with someone who is smart enough to make you disappear." I said throwing my hands up.

"Am I not attractive to gay guys?" Stiles asked as if I would know.

"Plus I make first line and the captain wants to destroy me and on top of everything else I'm late for work." I sighed looking at my phone.

"Wait Scott! You didn't…AM I ATTRACTIVE TO GAY GUYS?!" Stiles yelled down the hall after me but I decided to just let it go. I got a text from Maggie finally saying that she found some information out but she'll have to show me after her detention. She also asked why Allison was inviting her to go bowling as Stiles date which only made me roll my eyes. While I know Allison had good intentions she clearly didn't know how big the rift between Maggie and Stiles was. I pulled up to the Animal Hospital and parked my bike before hurrying inside.

"Sorry…I'm sorry." I apologized to Dr. Deaton, my boss.

"You're all of 2 minutes late." He said with his eyes on some new inventory.

"Don't want you to think I'm slacking." I said honestly. Managing my friends, family, love life, school and my new inner beast kind of made work the furthest down on my list of priorities.

"Scott, I guarantee you are one of the least slacking kids in this town." Dr. Deaton smiled at me and I felt a little bit more confident that work was the only thing I wasn't currently failing at. I turned around as I started working on opening up the other boxes and froze when I saw Sheriff Stilinski standing in the hallway. As he walked through the door I saw that he had brought Bear, the police German Sheppard in with him.

"Hey I see somebody's ready to get their stitches taken out." Dr. Deaton said looking down at the dog.

"Hey Scott! Staying out of trouble?" Sheriff Stilinski asked me and I tried to snap out of it.

"Yeah." I mumbled looking back in the box as he turned his attention back to Dr. Deaton.

"Hey while I'm here, do you mind taking a look at those pictures I was telling you about? Sacramento still can't determine an animal." Sheriff handed Dr. Deaton the envelope and he pulled the pictures out.

"I'm not exactly an expert." Dr. Deaton said before looking the pictures over.

"Ah this is the guy that was attacked on the bus." I dropped the box of bandages I was holding trying to steady my heartbeat.

"Yeah and we found wolf hairs on Laura Hale's body." Sheriff said making me feel like I was about to just throw my hands up and surrender.

"A wolf?!" I blurted making both Sheriff and Dr. Deaton eye me.

"I mean I think I read somewhere that wolves haven't been in California for like 60 years." I covered quickly. Thank you Stiles for seemingly useful facts.

"True enough but wolves are highly migratory. They could have wandered in from another state driven by impulse or strong enough memory." Dr. Deaton said without looking at me.

"Wolves have memories?" I asked curiously.

"Longer term memories yes if associated by a primal drive. See this one here? Those are claw marks. A wolf would have gone for the throat, spinal cord with its teeth." Dr. Deaton explained making me all sorts of confused. Maybe I didn't attack this guy.

"So what do you think? You think it could be a mountain lion?" Sheriff asked in disbelief.

"I don't know. A wolf could chase down its prey, hobbling it by tearing at the ankles." Dr. Deaton's words made me feel the strong feelings I felt when I thought I was attacking Allison on the bus in my dream.

"And then the throat." Dr. Deaton said making me shake the images out of my head.

"You okay Scott?" Sheriff Stilinski asked me and I rubbed my hand through my hair.

"Uh yeah just a long day is all, kind of got a lot thrown at me today." I said trying to change the subject.

"I hope it wasn't because I upset Maggie this morning talking about her mother." I looked over at him and he looked upset.

"She told us about that today. I can't believe her mom died." I said shaking my head but I earned a strange look from Sheriff Stilinski.

"Dr. Deaton, can I borrow Scott for a moment?" He asked gesturing to me.

"Sure I'll give these another look." Dr. Deaton said waving the pictures around as I followed Sheriff out towards the waiting area.

"Did Maggie tell you her mom died?" He asked looking confused.

"Well no not really. She just said she was dead." I clarified and he ran his hand down his face.

"She didn't die Scott. She was murdered, pretty brutally in fact." My jaw literally dropped at this new information. That was a huge detail to leave out but then again Maggie hadn't given them any information at all.

"Wh-hat? How? When?" I asked trying to control a freak out.

"When Maggie and her mom left they were trying to get away from Maggie's father. He had apparently come back looking to harm the girls but they made it out of Beacon Hills before he could ever find them. From what I've read in the police report he finally managed to catch up to them but luckily Maggie wasn't home when it happened. She's staying with Karen and Louis because they're pretty much her last living family members." I shook my head as if that would help me wrap my brain around hearing it. How could Maggie just fail to mention all of this?

"Did they catch her dad?" I asked hopeful.

"No they never found him which is why she's back here. They think it would be the last place he would suspect her to ever go after living on the East coast for so long." Sheriff said patting my shoulder.

"You're a good man Scott, a good friend to Maggie. I'm just hoping you can get Stiles to come around too. She needs all the family she can get right now." Sheriff said making me think of how truly alone Maggie is. Losing her mother to her psychotic estranged father only to come back here to be faced with werewolf drama and high school bullies. I had to get Stiles to lay off of Maggie one way or another before she breaks from all the pressure.

**[Stiles POV]**

After being completely guilt tripped by Scott about saying mean things about Maggie I figured I would do my own bit of research. I wasn't just going to get sidelined on the werewolf team because Maggie apparently knew about dream interpretation. I sat down at the computer in the library and started researching dreams and the history of dream interpretation within animals.

After two hours I felt like my eyes were crossing from hitting so many road blocks. I jumped when I heard a book fall off a shelf. I didn't know anyone else was in here but the 3 other kids in detention being watched closely. I heard some groaning and leaned back in my chair to see the back of some very short, silky legs stretching to reach a book with a ruler. I almost fell out of my chair trying to get up to help until I realized it was Maggie.

"I didn't think they let the detention kids actually read the books in here." I said leaning against the bookcase.

"Oddly enough your dad got me out of detention. Something about having a rough time today after talking about a sore subject. Imagine that." She continued to struggle and I rolled my eyes before reaching up and grabbing the book which she rudely snatched from me.

"You're welcome." I said quickly.

"Thank you." She turned on her heel to walk away but I followed.

"What information could you possibly find in the school library that could help Scott out?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest. She was sitting at a table in the back going completely unnoticed with papers on the table and a few books scattered about.

"They have books on wolves here. I'm merely trying to confirm what I've already read." She said gesturing to another book that looked insanely old.

"What exactly are you confirming?" I put my finger on the corner of the book and she snapped it closed nearly crushing my finger.

"I'm really busy right now Stiles. I know the last thing you want to do is partner up and help me so why don't you just let me get back to work." She snapped at me and I felt utterly offended and slapped down like a child.

"Scott's wrong about you. You aren't the same girl we used to know when we were kids. You've gotten just like all those girls you used to stand up to for picking on us. He keeps trying to tell me otherwise, giving you some sort of free pass because your mom died but guess what? So did mine and you don't see me using it as an excuse to be a total jerk." I said a little more loudly then I had planned. I considered what I had just said and hoped Maggie didn't call me out on it. If you really looked at it, I was being a jerk because my mom died. She died and Maggie wasn't here to help me get through it. But she didn't call me out on it. She just looked at me with these eyes that screamed disappointment. I hated when she looked at me like that when we were kids. It made me feel inferior and stupid but really it was the look she gave when she felt that the person speaking was better than whatever it was that was spilling out of their mouth. She slid a piece of paper towards me and let out a sigh.

"The alpha has strong connections with all of its betas. The chances of Scott mindlessly mauling someone are unlikely but the alpha could have called upon Scott which could have put them on that bus without truly having any solid recollection." She explained looking up at me from her seat. I felt how strained my face was after verbally attacking her about her mom for the second time today but looking into her eyes I felt shame wash over me. I hated that she made me feel that way. I hated that I could hear my mom's voice in my head telling me that I was raised better.

"Excuse me, I hate to interrupt but I will." We both broke eye contact to see Lydia standing there. I straightened my back out and heard Maggie make a noise of disgust.

"This day just keeps getting better." Maggie said gathering up her things.

"Whatever new girl. I just wanted to let you know that you were officially uninvited to tonight's bowling date. Allison was clearly mistaken in inviting you in the first place." Lydia said making me feel like I was about to be in the middle of a cat fight but Maggie laughed.

"Well Lydia, I'm surprised you found it in your busy schedule to come all the way here to tell me that. Allison texted me about it earlier and I haven't actually gotten a chance to reply." Maggie started to put her things in her bag.

"Oh I'm sure it's hard for someone with no actual social life to comprehend." Lydia's tongue was sharp and her anger for Maggie was evident.

"Have no fear Lydia, the only thing you are mistaken in is thinking I'd ever actually want to hang out with you. There are at least 43 things off the top of my head I would rather do so sorry you've wasted your time trying to somehow tell me off." Maggie threw her bag over her shoulder and clutched the biggest book to her chest as I stood there and continued to watch silently.

"Oh right I'm sure. What would some nobody like you possibly do on a Friday night?" Lydia challenged and Maggie finally looked over at me.

"Avoiding Stiles, something you've come to master over the past decade." Maggie said making my checks grown warm with embarrassment. That was a complete lowblow and right in front of Lydia. She pushed past the both of us and Lydia huffed.

"Yeah…well…lucky him!" Lydia called after her getting shushed by the librarian. I was back to seething with anger again towards Maggie in a split second after what she said to Lydia like it was some sort of joke, me pining for her.

"She is honestly one of the most horrible new girls Beacon Hills has ever seen." Lydia said crossing her arms over her cut little frame.

"The funny thing is everyone acts like she's some innocent little new girl when the truth is she's no more new to Beacon Hills than me." I said getting annoyed that every fawned over her thinking she was some kind of shiny new toy.

"What do you mean? I've already looked in the old year books and there's no Maggie Carter in there." Lydia said gazing at me. I suddenly felt on the spot now that I had Lydia's attention.

"Of course it's not in there. She changed her last name when she came back. Not to mention her entire look. She's definitely not the Maggie Stevens I grew up with." I said thinking of us as kids and how she actually used to help me make Valentine's Day cards for Lydia.

"Maggie Stevens huh?" Lydia said aloud before starting to walk away from me just as Scott came out of nowhere and grabbed my arm. Lydia didn't see him as her adorable little legs carried her out of the library like a woman on a mission.

"We need to talk…now!" Scott said pulling me out of the emergency exit towards my jeep.

"Dude what the hell?" I said seeing that he had shoved his bike in the back roughly.

"Your dad came to the animal hospital today. He told me about Maggie's mom." Scott hopped in next to me and I was confused as to where I was supposed to be driving us.

"Okay I'm going to need a little more than that like where I'm being rushed off to?" I asked starting up the jeep.

"Stiles her mom didn't just die...she was murdered...by her father." I was shocked by Scott's words.

"What?! Are you serious? Why? How?!" I started rattling off questions and Scott made a face like I should know why he's dragged me out of the library.

"Right! To my house to do research." I headed towards my house and Scott shook his head.

"I just can't believe she didn't say anything. I get being too upset to talk about losing your mom but this isn't just her mom getting sick or a freak accident you know?" Scott said and I bit my lip.

"Oh I didn't mean-" I cut him off.

"It's fine. I get what you're saying. It is pretty shocking but maybe..." I trailed off catching Scott's full attention.

"What?" He pushed.

"Maybe we've all just grown up, you know? We were kids when we used to tell each other everything. We're obviously not kids anymore." I glanced over at him and he looked saddened by the harsh reality of the situation. We pulled up to my house and ran up to my room as I continue to bombard him with questions.

"Alright so where do we start?" Scott asked with a sigh as I plopped down in my computer chair.

"Well I guess we have to go back to the beginning. You said her dad killed her mom, are you talking about her real dad or that Rick guy?" I asked thinking back to when we were kids.

"Didn't that guy disappear or something?" Scott asked.

"Yeah like a year or two before they took off. I remember Maggie barely spoke for an entire month because she was so devastated." I said pulling up a search window on my computer.

"Well her dad split when she was a baby and the only other father figure she had was Max Cooper but he up and did the same thing. Not much you can really say. Search for open murder investigations on the East Coast." Scott said making me look back at him.

"The entire East Coast? Seriously? Do you know how many crazy people live on the East Coast?" I said unsurprised at how much Scott's search lacked detail.

"He didn't say where she lived exactly just that she came back here because Karen was her only living relative." Scott said making me furrow my eyebrows.

"That's not true. Her mom had like 2 other sisters besides Karen." I corrected.

"Are you sure? I don't remember." Scott said scratching his head and I got up quickly and started going through my closet. I was looking for an old box of things that I had thrown in there a long time ago when I realized Maggie wasn't coming back and never thought I'd find myself looking for it again.

"Dude what are you looking for?" Scott asked as I put my hands on it. I opened the box and searched through the junk.

"Remember that summer Maggie and her mom took a road trip and she sent us those postcards?" I said putting my hands on them finally.

"You kept those?" Scott questioned and I rolled my eyes turning the card over.

"There's one for Maine and one from Florida." I said looking for a name.

"I remember how jealous you were that she got to go to Universal Studios. You complained the rest of the summer." Scott chuckled and I rolled my eyes as I found a name.

"There! She said she rode all the rides with Aunt Evie." I started typing in the search for an Evie Stevens in Florida and an article popped up immediately.

_"Local business owner, Evie Stevens was found murdered late Friday evening. Authorities say Ms. Stevens was closing up her candle shop when the intruder broke in through the back door, catching Stevens off guard and slashing her wrists. The coroner reported that her body was drained of all her blood before the intruder slashed her throat. Stevens was currently in the guardianship of her niece Margaret who has been sent to live with family. The family has issued no statement at this time and the investigation is still currently being worked."_

"G-give me the name on the other card." I said to Scott still in shock.

"Caroline Stevens in Auburn, Maine." Scott breathed and I typed it in quickly to get the same thing I got for Evie Stevens.

_"The body of local woman was found early Monday morning in the Androscoggin River practically severed in half. Authorities have I.D'ed the body as Caroline Stevens, a 10th grade chemistry teacher at the local high school. Sources believe the death of Ms. Stevens may be linked to the murder of her sister in Orlando a few years prior. The Steven's family has yet to be reached for a statement due to the minor that was in the guardianship of Caroline Stevens at the time. They merely ask that their privacy is respected at this time."_

"Do you think her dad-" I cut Scott off.

"Killed her entire family off? Yeah it kind of seems that way." I said floored by this discovery. Scott's phone started beeping and he jumped up off my bed.

"I completely forgot about my date tonight." Scott said running his hands through his hair.

"Just try not to kill anyone. I'll look more into this." I said completely forgetting about the guy in the school bus but feeling Scott's glare.

"Text me if you find anything." Scott said unamused by my unintentional joke. Scott left me in my room with all this new information and not the first clue of what to do with it. I tried to search for Maggie's name but knew I wouldn't find anything because she was only 15. I looked through the box again and found old pictures of us together. I couldn't help but smile seeing the three of us dressed up as superheros on Halloween.

**_~*~Flashback~*~_ **

_"Just one more picture!" Melissa McCall had taken another picture before we could protest. Scott had picked Batman this year and I was pleased to be painted completely green to be the Hulk but Maggie was hesitant about being Wonder Woman for some strange reason._

_"Mom! We're never going to make it around the neighborhood if we have to keep stopping." Scott whined._

_"We also don't know how much longer Stiles is going to last in those tights." Anna Stevens said knowing how I always found myself in the most awkward of wardrobe malfunctions._

_"Oh I'm good this time. I'm completely chafe free." I smiled behind my green face paint._

_"How did you manage that one?" Scott asked curious._

_"I didn't wear underwear." I said sipping my juicebox. Maggie and Scott both took a step away from me._

_"That's my son." Dad said from our front porch._

_"Are you going with us John?" Anna asked as he frowned._

_"No I'm going to stay here with Claudia. She's got Stiles flu and is still not able to get out of bed. She said to make sure you take plenty of pictures." Dad said and Anna put her hand on his arm. My mom was trying to get over the world's longest flu._

_"Of course. You tell her to get plenty of rest and drink that tea I gave her. It will definitely help." Anna said as we walked off the porch. We walked a few paces in front of the women as they walked and talked about the latest neighborhood gossip. No one looks cool when they trick or treat with their parents. Scott kept adjusting his batman mask, while I walked freely in my green foam muscles as the Hulk. As we walked up to another house, we we're stopped by some kids from school._

_"What are you supposed to be? A fat gummy bear?" The boy said looking at me._

_"I'm the Incredible Hulk." I said as if the kid was an alien. How could he not know who I was in big green muscles?_

_"More like the Incredible loser." The boys laughed at me but I just shrugged._

_"What are you three supposed to be? The ugly squad?" Maggie jumped to my defense like she always did and they waved her off._

_"Whatever! Everyone knows you could never be Wonder Woman anyway. She wasn't a four-eyed loser." One of the boys spat before they continued on down the sidewalk. Maggie adjusted her glasses and I put my hand on her arm._

_"Don't listen to those guys. I think you'd make a great Wonder Woman." I said trying to make Maggie feel better._

_"They're right. Wonder Woman is the perfect superhero. She doesn't need stupid glasses." Maggie frowned as she torn her golden head piece off. I quickly picked it up and dusted it off._

_"Who cares what they think? Wonder Woman is great." I held the head piece out to her and she sighed._

_"She is great. Maybe I just picked the wrong costume." Maggie rarely ever got down on herself in front of me but when she did I was quick to remind her how special she was._

_"Nope I think you picked the perfect costume. You are my favorite Wonder Woman." I smiled and she finally cracked one herself before putting the head piece back on._

**_~*~End Flashback~*~_ **

I cleared my throat snapping out of the memory. I glanced over at the picture of my mom on the night stand and tried to keep myself from thinking about things too much. I needed to find out what happened to Maggie's mom. I remembered that my dad was the one who told Scott so I figured he might possibly have some sort of paperwork in his office. I went across the hall and turned the light on. He used to keep things pretty organized but after mom died he sort of just let things go unguarded. I checked through his papers on top of the desk and couldn't find anything useful. I checked the first few drawers and didn't find anything useful until I opened the bottom one. It was a police report with a letter attached to the front.

_Dear John,_   
_Sorry it's been so long since we've last spoken. Anna told me about Claudia and I am so sorry for your loss. She also told me that if there was one person in Beacon Hills I could depend on it was you. I'm writing you because I'm returning to Beacon Hills with Maggie. Anna thought she could outrun him but he managed to track them down. Evie didn't even know he had found them before it was too late but she managed to get a hold of Caroline in time to get Maggie out of harms way. I want to thank you for the flowers at the funerals. They were beautiful. The only place left we have to go is Beacon Hills. Maybe if she's back home with a new name, he won't know where to look. I got the police to publish that we had moved to Canada to start fresh so hopefully he follows that trail. I know this is all very sudden and I know that you have your own teenager to raise but I also know that the one thing Maggie has managed to hold onto throughout all of this mess is the pictures Claudia sent her years ago of Stiles and Scott's middle school promotion. I didn't think anything would hurt her like losing those boys until this maniac started killing off our family tree. I truly appreciate any help you can provide. Maggie can rest easy knowing that she hasn't lost her whole family._

The letter was signed from Karen and was dated for about a month ago. I wasn't sure what pictures she was talking about but the whole letter kind of confused me. Maggie's dad was apparently some psycho who's main objective was to murder her entire family. I don't know if I was more afraid that he might find his way here to finish the job or if something would happen to my dad trying to stop him. I heard my dad come through the front door and I quickly tried to put the papers back where I found them until I saw the coroner's report for Maggie's mom.

"Victim was drained of blood and cut into 14 different pieces..." I read aloud in shock. I froze as I continued to read and completely forgot I heard my dad walk in.

"She was the same age you were when she lost her mom." I spun around to see my dad standing there looking completely drained.

"W-why does he want Maggie's family dead?" I asked confused as dad walked over and took the file from me.

"He wasn't trying to kill Maggie's family. He was trying to get Maggie. They just tried to protect her." Dad explained.

"They died protecting her." I whispered.

"She's only a teenager and carries the guilt of both her aunts and her mother's deaths. Maybe cutting her some slack wouldn't be so terrible." Dad patted my shoulder and I suddenly felt like my mom would be insanely disappointed in just how horrible I've been to Maggie since she's been back. My emotions were all jumbled with the fear of things to come on top of what move I was supposed to make next.


	6. The Difference Between Us

**[Scott's POV]**

This disastrous date was finally over and I was walking Allison to her front door knowing that she would probably never want to go out with me again. I figured if she just wanted to be friends I would just have to settle for that but the ache in my chest was telling me otherwise.

"So uh do you think we could hang out again sometime?" I asked hopeful but she pursed her lips.

"Definitely but I have to admit something." She looked down and I waited for her to let me down easy.

"I'm not big on group dates so next time how about it's just the two of us?" She asked and I felt a wave of relief and excitement wash over me.

"I could totally handle more of that." I said with a smile.

"Good." She leaned forward and kissed me quickly but I held onto her hand pulling her back towards me. She had said to take more chances and that's what I was going to do. I pulled her by her waist and let my lips find hers. Something just felt right about kissing Allison. It's like the walls in the world just fell down and nothing else mattered but the connection that we shared. When she finally pulled away the smile on her face turned into a giggle.

"And I could definitely handle more of that." She said almost out of breath. She kissed me one last time before going inside her house. I felt like I was walking on air as I headed home. I figured I would stop at Maggie's on the way to see if she was up but as I walked up the sidewalk something stopped me. There was like an invisible wall that kept me from even getting a foot on the porch. I stepped back and looked up at her window and considered calling but I got a text from Stiles saying he had news. I headed home in time to hear my mom scream which caused me to fly up the stairs and throw the light on.

"What's going on!?" I said quickly seeing Stiles on my bed and my mom holding my bat.

"Could you please tell your friend to use the front door?" Mom asked making me laugh.

"We lock the front door he wouldn't be able to get in." I informed her.

"Yeah exactly and by the way do either of you care that there's a police enforced curfew?!" She asked putting her arms out. I glanced over at Stiles who gave me a face.

"No." We both said at the same time.

"No? Alright then. Well that's about enough parenting for me for one night." Mom looked exhausted as she tossed the bat on my bed next to Stiles. The front door opened and someone came running up the stairs just as Mom reached my bedroom door.

"Scott! I found- Oh hey Melissa." Maggie smiled at my mom who looked at the three of us.

"Wh- how did you get in?!" Stiles asked Maggie who held up a key.

"How come she gets a key!?" Stiles asked looking at my mom and then at me.

"Because I've never had to almost clobber her with a baseball bat. Now you kids...just stay out of trouble." My mom ran her hand through her hair before touching Maggie's arm.

"Goodnight." Maggie said before coming all the way in the room and shutting the door.

"I don't take it you're both here to ask about my date are you?" I said pulling out the computer chair for Maggie.

"We've got better things to worry about." Stiles said making Maggie snort.

"Psh I don't. How was your date? Allison texted me saying it was bowling which is surprising since you are like the worst bowler in the country." Maggie said making me smile just thinking about how horrible I thought the date was originally but how awesome it ended.

"You think you girls could do this tomorrow? I've got important things to share here." Stiles said again making me nervous.

"What?" I grabbed another chair and sat down.

"My dad just left for the hospital 15 minutes ago, it's the bus driver. They said he succumbed to his wounds." Stiles said confusing me.

"Succumbed?" I repeated unsure what that meant.

"Scott...he's dead." Stiles finished and I felt my stomach drop.

"Oh my God...I killed someone." I said slowly rising out of the chair I had pulled up.

"We don't know that for sure." Stiles said trying to calm me down.

"Actually I'm pretty sure you didn't but in order to be certain we'll need to go back to where it happened." Maggie said making Stiles and I both look over at her.

"What will that do?" Stiles asked as she pulled out her books.

"Werewolves are more aware of their surroundings than any other creature. The fact that you can only remember bits and pieces seems to me like you might have been there but not actually the wolf that attacked the man. However if the Alpha was committing some sort of recital killing in order to grab your attention then he would have wanted you there." I found myself staring at Maggie completely lost.

"What the HELL are we talking about right now?" I finally asked and she sighed frustrated.

"Okay I'll break this down for you. You are a beta because an alpha wolf bit you." She explained.

"So Derek..." Stiles added.

"Yes, if Derek killed this guy to scare you into being a part of his pack then I'd say it's clearly working but if you want to be sure that it was Derek and not you then we'll have to go back to the bus." Maggie explained.

"How will going back to the bus help anything?" I asked still thoroughly convinced that I'd killed this guy.

"You have other senses that are heightened. They will help you remember, they'll take you back to that moment but you have to focus on them." Maggie said making me glance over at Stiles.

"It's worth a shot I guess." Stiles shrugged. We tried to sneak out of the window as quietly as possible and make our way to Stiles jeep. As Maggie got into the back Stiles stopped me.

"I found out more about Maggie's family that we really need to talk about." He whispered.

"About her mom?" I whispered back.

"It's not good man. I really think-" Before Stiles could finish Maggie stuck her head out of the window.

"Does this thing not move or is this a Flintstones kind of car?" She joked making Stiles furrow his brows. I put my hand on his chest and he reeled it back.

"Let's just go." Stiles let it go and got into the jeep. We pulled up to the school and Stiles killed the engine. All three of us got out of the jeep and headed toward the fence.

"Okay here's the plan. I'll go over first and clear the area and then you slip in and do your wolf thing-" I cut Stiles off.

"No it's just got to be me. Someone needs to keep watch and I know you won't let Maggie touch your horn." I pointed out and Maggie shrugged. Stiles knew I was right but he was clearly not happy about it.

"How come I'm always the guy keeping watch?" Stiles asked me.

"This is something I have to do on my own. Please just stay here and have my back." I pleaded and Stiles shook his head.

"Why is this starting to feel like you're Batman and I'm Robin? I don't want to be Robin all the time!" Stiles said making Maggie sigh.

"No one's Batman or Robin any of the time." I said getting annoyed.

"Not even some of the time?" Stiles asked as I gripped the fence.

"Just stay he-" Stiles cut me off.

"Oh my God!" Stiles walked back over to the jeep as I climbed over the fence.

"Scott!" Maggie called to me and I came back to the fence.

"Remember to let your sense guide you. Your sight, your smell, everything. Let them remember for you." Maggie said and I nodded knowing what I had to do. I started to approach the bus remembering to use my senses. It was chilly and had rained earlier so I smelt rain and blood. I put one hand on the door and jumped back when an image of Allison pressed against the glass popped in my head. I pushed the door open and stepped onto the bus trying to focus on keeping Allison's images out of my head. I kept walking and could smell the man's blood very vividly and covered my face when I had a flash of one of the bus seats flying at me.

"Come on! Focus." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before letting my senses do the work for me. I finally got a glimpse of the man on the floor of the bus, bloodied and terrified but he wasn't scared of me. He was actually reaching for me to help him. I put my hand down and felt the man grip my hand for dear life and looked up to see what had attacked him and saw red eyes. I jumped back when I saw claws come down near my chest and snapped out of it when I heard Stiles honking his horn. I scrambled off the bus and saw flashlights. Maggie was waving me towards the fence as she dug in her bag.

"HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE!" I heard security calling out to me as I ran as hard as I could. Maggie threw something over the fence and all the sudden the lot was full of smoke. We both jumped into the jeep and Stiles looked shocked.

"What the HELL was that!?" Stiles asked glancing over at Maggie.

"Plan B?! Did you remember anything?!" Maggie asked out of breath like me.

"Yeah I was there last night but it wasn't my blood." I said.

"So you did attack him?" Stiles asked.

"No! I actually tried to help him. I saw glowing red eyes." I explained.

"Then it was Derek." Maggie said and Stiles shook his head.

"How do you know that?" He asked and I looked at her.

"The alpha always has red eyes." Maggie said.

"It had to be a pack thing." Stiles said and Maggie shook her head.

"You're probably right like some sort of initiation." Maggie continued.

"Okay I think I prefer you two arguing rather than talking about what's going on with me and me being clueless." They both rolled their eyes at me.

"Killing together might be what's supposed to make you apart of his pack." Maggie said.

"Because ripping someone's throat out is a real bonding experience?" I said sarcastically.

"But you didn't do it so you're not a killer!" Maggie pointed out making me relax.

"It also means that Derek's probably going to stop at nothing to get you to be a part of his pack." Stiles said looking over at me.

"You don't think he'd go after anyone I care about, do you?" I asked concerned.

"The bus driver was someone you knew when you were younger. It's hard to say." Maggie pointed out. I made eye contact with Stiles and we both seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"I'll take care of it." I went to pull on the handle of the jeep but Maggie stopped me.

"Whoa! Where are you going?" She asked me.

"I'm going to deal with Derek. I want him to stay away from my friends and family." I explained.

"The guy killed someone Scott. You can't just go in there and scowl at him. You need a plan." Stiles said.

"No I have to-" Maggie hit me in the head and Stiles went wide eyed.

"Enough of that on your own crap. We're going with you or you aren't going at all. Got it?" Maggie said sternly and Stiles and I just sat silently.

"So...to Derek's then?" Stiles finally spoke and Maggie glared.

"Oh wow." He said as if her glare threw something at him. We drove into the preserve and finally pulled up at Derek's.

"This is a really bad idea." Stiles said shaking his head.

"You both are waiting here. I won't budge on that Maggie. I won't see you go through what your-" Stiles started flailing his arms telling me to zip it.

"What are you talking about?!" Maggie asked looking between Stiles and I.

"Look he knows I'm here. Just please stay here." I put my hand on Maggie's arm and she frowned. I looked at Stiles and he nodded at me. I took a deep breath and burst through Derek's front door.

"DEREK! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE AND I KNOW WHAT YOU DID!" I yelled.

"You brought your friends with you? That's very dangerous Scott." Derek's voice echoed off the walls but I didn't know where he was.

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM THEM! I KNOW YOU KILLED THAT GUY!" I called out.

"He died." Derek seethed from the shadows.

"Just like your sister died?" I tested.

"My sister went missing. I came back to look for her." Derek explained.

"Yeah well you found her." I said keeping my eyes open.

"I FOUND HER IN PIECES BEING USED AS BAIT TO CATCH ME!" Derek yelled and I stopped walking up the steps for a moment.

"I think you killed them both and if you don't stay away then I'm going to tell everyone. Starting with the Sheriff!" I threatened as I reached the top of the steps. He didn't respond and for a split second I thought he accepted my threat. It was short lived though as I was then sent tumbling down the steps I had just climbed. I felt the wolf inside of me at the surface and I knew that I would have to force the point with Derek.

**[Maggie's POV]**

I bit my nails as Scott made his way inside of Derek's broken down house. I got this overwhelming feeling about being here again and I couldn't shake it. I could feel Stiles cutting his eyes at me every few moments and I finally turned and looked at him.

"Is there something on your mind because you're boring holes into my face right now." I said annoyed and he gaped.

"I- I just...I'm a little confused as to how you had a random smoke bomb in your bag there. Not really something most people carry around." Stiles pointed out and I looked away.

"Yeah well it got us out of there without getting caught so." I glanced at him and he shrugged. I had been messing with a few different things in the book Karen gave me to utilize the elements. I wasn't even sure it was going to work until it did.

"Well I just didn't know that when you told Lydia you had 43 things to do one of those things included bomb making," Stiles said making me bite my lip.

"Are you going to call Homeland Security on me or something?" I joked seeing him fight giving it the chuckle it deserved.

"Besides I thought you were mad I embarrassed you in front of the queen." I said glancing over at him.

"I don't understand why you hate her so much." Stiles shook his head and I laughed.

"You know exactly why I hate her Stiles. She tormented me our entire childhood, not to mention made you and Scott the butt of her jokes when she actually noticed you existed." I reminded.

"We were kids Maggie. Clearly a lot has changed since then." He gestured to me.

"You're as blind now as you were then." I crossed my arms over my chest and looked back to the house. Stiles let out a heavy sigh.

"Look I'm trying not to be a jerk here." Stiles sat forward in the jeep and I looked back at him.

"Why? What's brought on this change exactly?" I looked at him and his eyes gave it away. I shifted uncomfortably in the seat. His dad must have told him about what happened to my mom. It was hard to be an asshole when you find out that someone's mother was hacked to bits.

"Wow! So you find out about my mom and suddenly you want to be nice to me? Really? Screw you Stiles. Keep your pity." I opened the door and he scrambled out of the driver side to follow me.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Stiles grabbed my arm and I pulled it out of his grasp.

"When!? Between you running the active Hate Maggie campaign and Scott's on going episode of True Life I'm a Werewolf?" I asked throwing my arms out. We both jumped when we heard a loud growl.

"Whoa." Stiles said. I jumped back into him when I heard the loud crash of body meeting weak wood. For a moment it looked like the structure shook from the force. I hadn't even realized Stiles had his arms around me until I moved to try and go into the house and he pulled me back.

"Whoa whoa you can't go in there." Stiles said and I pushed him away.

"I'm not going to sit out here while Scott gets torn apart." I pointed out and Stiles finally jumped in front of me stopping me.

"Yeah well I'm not going to let you go in there and get hurt either." Stiles stuck his chest out like he was going to stop me by any means and I just shook my head at him.

"It didn't matter a few days ago. It shouldn't matter now." I tried stepping around him but he went to stop me once more and I kneed him in the groin.

"Oh mother bitch." He said through gritted teeth falling against the jeep as I heard Scott let out a yell.

"SCOTT!?" I yelled bursting through the door to see who I assumed to be Derek in full wolf mode as Scott gripped his chest. I saw blood and ran towards Scott.

"Maggie! Get out of here!" Scott growled in pain but he couldn't get to his feet. Derek looked at me strangely and took a few steps closer but I threw my hands up at him.

"STOP!" I screamed and somehow he flew backwards hitting the wall. Scott looked up and saw Derek on the other side of the room. I suddenly felt weak and fell to my knees next to Scott.

"Are you okay?" He asked now back to his old self.

"Y-yeah are you?" I asked looking at his chest.

"Who the hell are you?!" Derek emerged from the darkness of the house and I finally got to see what he looked like as a human. He had dark hair and looked like he had missed his morning shave but his eyes were piercing.

"Stay away from her!" Scott said jumping in front of me as I got up slowly.

"Look I didn't kill Laura, neither of us did. It's not your fault and it's not mine." Derek said out of breath.

"This?! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU RUINED MY LIFE!" Scott stepped towards Derek and I held onto his arm which caught Derek's attention.

"No I didn't." He said stepping that much closer to Scott but not me.

"You're the one who bit me." Scott seethed.

"No I'm not!" Derek said. Scott shook his head and I was now becoming confused.

"What?!" Scott raised his voice again.

"I'm not the one who bit you." Derek said again and Scott looked down at the blood on his chest. He started to twitch slightly and I gave his arm a squeeze.

"Scott?" I called his name and his knees gave out. I helped him onto the couch and he finally looked over at me.

"He's not the alpha." He said almost as if he was upset with me for giving him false information.

"You and I are both betas. My sister came here looking for him and now I'm here to find him but I can't do that without you." Derek said trying not to look at me.

"Why do you need me?" Scott asked in disbelief.

"Because he bit you and that makes you part of his pack. You're the one he wants." Derek explained and Scott jumped to his feet.

"I don't want to be a part of his pack!" Scott said making Derek shake his head.

"You'll never survive on your own!" He stepped closer to Scott and I grabbed Scott's arm.

"Scott, he's right. The omegas rarely survive." I said in desperation.

"Who the hell are you?! No actually what the hell are you?!" Derek finally shouted looking at me.

"Back off Derek!" Scott pushed Derek and Derek shoved him back. I stepped between them and put a hand on Derek's chest but he gripped my wrist. I suddenly was pulled into a memory of watching the house I was once standing in being set ablaze. I could feel the heat from the flames and hear the screams of the people inside. I could feel the anguish and sadness in my chest as the person watching the blaze felt. I was pulled away from Derek and he was on the ground breathing heavily.

"Maggie!? Maggie, are you alright?" It was Stiles.

"We need to get out of here." Scott said as they helped me back to the jeep and took off.

"What the hell was that? You completely blacked out for a second." Scott asked out of breath.

"I-I don't know." I rubbed at my head and I continued to fight the feeling that I took away from Derek's.

"I thought I told you to wait outside!" Scott yelled but looked over at Stiles.

"Are you seriously blaming me right now?! I might not be able to have kids she kneed me so hard." Stiles had a free hand resting on his groin as he drove.

"How did you throw him into the wall like that?" Scott asked but I couldn't focus on him.

"Wait what?! She threw Derek Hale into a wall? Are you crazy? He's going to kill you." Stiles spoke frantically as he drove.

"Maggie?" I finally looked up and saw Scott's eyes.

"Stop the jeep." I said feeling the tears sting my eyes.

"What?" Stiles said.

"STOP THE JEEP!" I screamed making him pull over quickly.

"Jesus! What the hell?" He said as I jumped into Scott's lap practically to get out.

"Maggie! Maggie wait!" Scott called after me but I just took off running. I felt weak but I got this sudden burst of strength and took off towards my house. They must not have realized how close we were because I could hear them calling out for me as I made it to the front door and shut it quickly. I ran up to my room and shut the light out so they would know I made it. I sat down at the bottom of the window and watched as they sat in the jeep staring up at my window completely confused as to what happened. Once they left I turned my cellphone off and shut my door. All I wanted to do was to stop feeling whatever emotions Derek passed to me.

I cried the entire night and no matter how badly I tried to stop I couldn't. Karen finally came in and tried to calm me down but even she couldn't without some sort of disgusting herbal tea. I stayed home from school the next two days because of how weak my body felt. I turned my phone back on and it went off nonstop with messages from Scott, Allison and even one from Stiles. Karen came in with a frown on her face when she found me sitting up with all the books back on my bed.

"I thought you were resting?" Karen asked.

"I was but I thought I'd do some light reading." I said pushing my glasses up on my face.

"When are you going to tell me what happened the other night? You come home and practically fall apart. Then you are so physically drained you can barely make it to the bathroom." Karen walked in and sat down on the bed.

"Have you ever...have you ever touched someone and suddenly found yourself living through someone else's painful memories?" I asked hesitantly and Karen tilted her head sideways.

"You latched with someone? Who?" Karen asked confused.

"Is that such a thing? Can we do that?" I asked equally confused.

"Yes we have that ability but considering you are just now dabbling into all of this it certainly explains why it took so much out of you. You learn to harness it and it won't suck all the energy out of you. When you latch to someone you are forming a connection with them in order to understand them a little better. You open yourself up completely to them. It's like trying to figure out what makes a person tick. Sometimes if the situation is too overwhelming they can get a memory out of you as well even without being like us." Karen explained. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration.

"I feel like I'm starting to slip in all of this. Sometimes I feel like I'm just waiting for things to go wrong and I hate that feeling." I said aloud and Karen put her hand on my leg.

"I know tomorrow is going to be rough for you if you want to take another day." Karen said and I shook my head.

"I just wish I could forget that night." I said closing my eyes tightly and seeing my mom's blood covering the hardwood floors of the house we were staying in.

"Something like that isn't easy to forget sweetheart. Just try and keep your mind someplace else. Why don't you call Scott or Stiles?" Karen asked and I rolled my eyes.

"It's bad enough I spilled the beans on my mom to them in the first place. The last thing I want to do is to be burdened with a million questions." I said finally getting out of bed.

"Well you can't hide out inside. You'll have to explain things eventually." Karen stood up as well but froze when she saw something on my bed. She picked up on the books and looked at me.

"Werewolves? What's the interest?" She asked with a more serious tone.

"Oh I just sort of stumbled on it and thought it was crazy that they actually existed." I tried to cover but something told me she wasn't buying it.

"Do you know much about them?" I asked and she shut the book.

"They're power hungry monsters that shouldn't exist in the first place. They destroy everything and everyone they come in contact with because all they truly care about is themselves." Karen said making my eyes go a bit wide at her strong hate for the species.

"So they're the narcissists of the supernatural world?" I joked and Karen tossed the book back on my bed.

"You don't have to worry about any werewolves around here, trust me." Karen started to walk out of my room and I stopped her.

"Wait, why don't I have to worry?" I asked concerned for Scott's well being.

"There is a certain insurance of sorts here in Beacon Hills to protect people from werewolves and if that insurance falls through then let's just say we are equip to handle them." Karen said before walking out and leaving me to worry. I guess Louis was right when he said not to talk to Karen about werewolves. I didn't know why she harbored so much hatred for them but I wasn't sure I wanted to find out. I slipped on some clothes and grabbed my shoes before walking out of the front door. I figured I could take a walk to the gas station and get some milk for the house since I pretty much killed it eating nothing but cereal the past few days.

As I walked I got the overwhelming feeling that I was being watched. I stepped into the gas station and gave a weak smile to the clerk behind the counter before walking towards the milk. I heard the sound of the door but didn't see who had entered. I got that weird vibe once more and rushed towards the front to pay for the milk. The clerk smiled at me once more and I thanked him before leaving quickly.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" I jumped when I heard the voice as I exited the gas station to see Derek standing against the wall.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere other than stalking me?" I started walking and he followed.

"I wouldn't have to stalk you if you just answered my questions, starting with who you are?" Derek said making me shake my head.

"Why does it matter who I am? I'm no one." I said still walking trying to ignore him.

"Does Scott know you're a witch?" I stopped dead and I knew I gave myself away. I turned around slowly and looked at him.

"Yeah I didn't think so. How about you tell me what I want to know and you can keep that little bit to yourself." Derek stepped closer to me and I stepped back.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He added.

"I'm fighting the urge to hurt you." I admitted which made him laugh.

"You're definitely friends with Stiles with a mouth like that." Derek teased and I pushed him which caught him off guard.

"If you want Sabrina to beat your Team Jacob ass in the middle of this street I could make that happen for you." I warned and he stepped back.

"Don't tell me you actually have feelings for that kid." Derek asked and I felt my face flush before turning and starting back up the sidewalk.

"Okay fine I won't talk about them. Will you just wait up?" Derek gripped my arm and I spun around into him. I heard a few cars go past but I was hypnotized by his eyes for a moment. Something about them seemed so familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it. I finally pushed away from him and he stared at my chest.

"Where did you get that?" He pointed and I looked down at my pendant. I covered it with my hand and looked at him.

"My mother gave it to me." I said quickly.

"Who is your father?" Derek stepped towards me and I stepped back again.

"What? I don't remember him." I said shaking my head and he gripped my arm.

"Don't lie to me." He said and I winced.

"I'm not! Let go!" I said gripping his wrist.

"Who is your father?" He asked again through gritted teeth squeezing tighter.

"I said I don't remember!" I put my hand on wrist once more and held it until he pulled away shaking his hand.

"What the hell?!" Derek looked at his wrist and it looked burnt. I took this moment to try and run but I knew I would never be able to out run a werewolf. I got almost all the way to my house when Derek grabbed me by my waist and picked me up.

"PUT ME DOWN!" I yelled.

"Stop trying to fight me and just talk! I'm sorry about earlier. I promise to be more gentle." Derek said as I continued to struggle.

"Um Maggie?" We both looked up and saw Allison sitting on my front porch.

"Allison? What are you doing here?" I asked as Derek still held me off the ground.

"I came to check on you but I can see you're already being taken care of." She eyed Derek and he put me down.

"I was just-" I spun around and cut Derek off.

"Leaving. He was just leaving." I eyed him and he looked annoyed but started to sulk off.

"We aren't finished here." Derek said looking back at me. Allison was trying to fight a smirk and I shook my head.

"It's really not even whatever you're thinking." I sat down on the step next to her and she laughed.

"Hey if I could stay home and fool around with Scott I totally would." Allison put her hands up and I covered my face.

"I'm just having a bad week. How was your date though?" I asked her and she couldn't fight a smile.

"A little rocky but I just enjoyed spending time with Scott. He really is a sweetheart." Allison said and I nodded.

"You know you are the first real girl to truly take his breath away." I admitted and she looked surprised.

"Really? Wait are you supposed to be telling me these things? You're like his best friend. I don't want to cross enemy lines or anything." She said and I laughed for the first time this week.

"I have a strong feeling that you are going to be in Scott's life pretty permanently so being friends with you will be a perk." I said bumping her shoulder with mine.

"Well I hope so." She smiled before pausing.

"You know if we're going to be friends then you can totally dish to me about guys. Especially tall, dark and broody ones." Allison continued to insist that something was going on with Derek and I finally put my face in my hands.

"I swear there is nothing going on. This is like the second time we've even exchanged and both times haven't been pleasant." I explained but she bit her lip.

"I don't know you two looked pretty cozy when I walked up." Allison said and I shook my head.

"Fine, don't tell me but I think he's kinda cute." Allison stood up from the porch.

"Yeah in that murderous kind of way." I said standing up next to her.

"I have to get back to school but I'll see you tomorrow right?" She asked and I shrugged.

"Maybe. I'm playing it by ear." I said honestly not sure how I was going to feel tomorrow.

"Well maybe have Derek come over to push you along then." She stuck her tongue out at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Go to school, Argent!" I crossed my arms over my chest before turning back to walk inside. I walked up to my room and pulled out the box I had keep in the closet with all the things I could hold onto between moving around so much and all the murders. It was hard to hold onto the good memories when I was surrounded by so many bad ones.

The next few hours I spent reading the book of healing. Karen had told me that she was going to give me a list of earthly elements she wanted me to go out and find before showing me how to make remedies. I jumped when I heard a knock on the door frame and looked up to see Louis standing there.

"How mad are you with me?" He asked scrunching his face.

"I don't see what good it did for you to tell Sheriff Stilinski about everything if we are trying to keep a low profile." I said honestly.

"I didn't give him every gory detail but he had to know." Louis walked further in and I shut the book.

"Why? Why did he possibly need to know?" I ask incredulously.

"Because he's the Sheriff and he's got a personal connection to you and the family and if he knows that there is any kind of potential threat out there then he can keep you safe." Louis explained and I shook my head.

"How could he possibly keep me more safe then you and Aunt Karen could? He doesn't have any kind of supernatural ability and I would never want him to put himself in harm. I wouldn't do that to Stiles." I explained and Louis shook his head.

"Maggie, you have no idea how important your safety is to a lot of us. We would do anything to insure your future. Please don't penalize us for loving you." Louis put his hand on mine and I looked down at it.

"I'm tired of people I love dying to protect me. I just want to be normal." I said biting my lip.

"Sadly you are far beyond normal Maggie but that would still be the case even if you weren't born with extraordinary ability." I looked at Louis and he smiled at me before pulling me into a hug.

"You know my brother Nathan used to be really good at playing the piano but he kept it a secret because he thought that people would think he was weird or girly." Louis said making me cock my eyebrow up.

"How is this remotely relevant?" I questioned with a laugh.

"One day I heard him playing and he confessed that he didn't know how or why he had the gift but hated it. So I told him that he should be proud of his gift because creating beautiful music is something to cherish. You never know when something you do can save someone's life." I listened to Louis and nodded my head.

"The moral of the story is its okay to share with people you love and trust because if they love and trust you back they'll never hold it against you." He explained further making me think of Scott and Stiles.

"I set the hammock up out back for you. I remembered how much you and the boys loved star gazing when you were kids." Louis said making me pull out of the hug.

"It was one of the only traditions my mom kept when we traveled since I couldn't contact the boys." I said sadly.

"Maybe if you look close enough you'll see her smile in the stars tonight." Louis said patting my shoulder. Before he could leave the room I called out to him.

"Hey Louis...thank you...for being one of those people who cares enough to protect me. I sometimes wish you didn't but I'm grateful nonetheless." I said honestly. He smiled and put his hand on his heart graciously before leaving me in my room.

I took the shoe box of pictures and went out back to the hammock where I set up for the evening. I altered from looking through the pictures to looking up at the dimming sky thinking about how different things would have been if I was a normal teenage girl. I heard a throat clear softly and turned my head to see Scott standing timidly at the back gate.

"Hi...your uncle Louis said you were out here." He said with his hands stuffed deeply in his pockets.

"Feel free to join me." I gestured to the other side of the hammock and he slowly walked over and maneuvered his way onto it and glancing at me.

"Are you okay? I know after things with Derek and-" I cut Scott off.

"Dropping the bomb that is my mother's death? Yeah I'm swell." I said jokingly but Scott frowned.

"How come you didn't tell me that night you showed up at my house?" Scott asked looking over at me.

"I hadn't seen you in six years Scott. Opening with My family is being picked off one by one' wasn't really how I wanted to rekindle the friendship." I said sarcastically. Scott went silent for a few moments which made me sigh.

"I supposed Stiles has blown up Google search getting information so what does it matter anyway?" I added.

"We looked into it because we had no idea what happened to you after you left but all we know is what was in the paper." Scott confirmed.

"Then why are you here? You got the answers you were looking for." I asked but Scott looked over at me.

"I'm here because those papers could never tell me what kind of hell my best friend went through and if she's truly okay. I'm here because no matter what you've gone through or what we continue to go through I'll be there. I told you about my secret because when we were kids all I ever needed to make a situation better was you and Stiles. I was struggling with what I am, I still am struggling but knowing that you have my back makes me feel like just maybe I'll make it out of this alive." Scott said with sheer conviction. I wiped a stray tear away from my eye and he put his hand on my knee.

"Oh no I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm such an idiot." He scolded himself and I chuckled.

"No it's just...everything that I've been through since leaving you guys behind has been so insanely hard to deal with and all I kept thinking was that time we talked about running away." I admitted and Scott laughed.

"We did run away that one time but Stiles got poison ivy all over himself and we had to come home." Scott said with a smile.

"I remember our mom's putting us in bathing suits and painting us with calamine lotion in the back yard." I added to the memory and Scott and I shared a good laugh.

"I'm sorry we haven't spent any of the time since you've been back laughing. That's my fault." Scott took the blame again and I shook my head.

"Hardly. Oddly enough your secret is like a 3 on my top priorities at the moment." I ran my hand through my hair and Scott leaned back on the hammock.

"Is that why you haven't been at school this week?" He probed and I looked over at him.

"Kind of. It's a long story that I'm not really sure how to explain just yet." I wasn't really ready to drop the whole I'm a Witch' bomb on Scott just yet. Not when he's already dealing with his own supernatural disaster.

"Do you think once you figure it out you'll tell me?" Scott asked and I smiled at him.

"Yeah I probably will." I said making him look relaxed. He saw the pictures in the shoebox next to me and pulled a handful out. He looked at the pictures and I let out a sigh knowing that he didn't know any of the faces he was looking at.

"That's my aunt Evie and that's her candle shop. When my mom and I left Beacon Hills my mom asked me where I wanted to go. I had no idea we weren't coming back so I said Florida hoping I could score some cool souvenirs from Disney again to bring back to you and Stiles but that wasn't in the plan I guess." I explained.

"I bet it was cool to live in Florida though." Scott said and I shrugged.

"It was alright. Mom said she needed to keep looking for some sort of safe haven for us to start fresh which meant her leaving me with Evie for extended periods of time and showing up every few months to check in." I said coming across a birthday party picture of Evie and I.

"Was she at least a cool aunt? I mean living with a relative can be fun but only if they aren't some stiff, old bag." Scott said making me chuckle.

"Evie was hilarious. She was super outgoing and loved to just fly by the seat of her pants. I remember she let me run her shop one day and people were so confused when they walked in to buy things and I was sitting behind the cash register. It was a lot of fun. Plus she is the one who helped me fix my eyes." I said without thinking but Scott didn't pick up on it.

"She sounds like a lot of fun." He said.

"She was." I felt a weight on my chest and Scott's eyes were on me.

"M-my mom had come back in town saying she had finally found a place for us to set up so she took me out to celebrate but Evie had to work late at the shop so she said she would meet us at her house for a late night celebration...when she didn't show up my mom and I assumed she was still working so we thought we would scare her. My mom went to the back door and I slipped through the front but I knew the moment I opened the door something was wrong. I could just feel it." I said staring at the picture of her.

"That's when I smelt the blood. It was all over the floor and on the sides of the displays. I walked to the back and saw my mom holding her in her lap but she was already gone. After that my mom got spooked again and we had to take off before we could even plan her funeral. Karen brought her body back to Beacon Hills and had her buried here with my grandpa." I sniffled and Scott put his hand on mine.

"I was 11 years old and utterly terrified to even leave the house." I said hearing my voice squeak a bit.

"Who wouldn't be? That's a lot to take in at 11. I wouldn't want to ever leave my bedroom." Scott admitted and I rolled my eyes.

"Well I didn't really have a permanent residence but that's definitely how I felt which is why the next place we went was Maine where my aunt Caroline lived. She was a teacher so when I was too paralyzed with fear to even leave the house she had to start homeschooling me." I said showing him a picture of Caroline.

"You all look so much alike. It's kind of funny." Scott pointed out in three different pictures.

"That's what a lot of people said. That's kind of how we were known. When mom would leave to look for a new home and Caroline would take care of me it was like people just assumed she was my new mother or something. It wasn't really questioned." I explained.

"Was your aunt Caroline as cool as your aunt Evie?" Scott asked curiously.

"Not in the same way. Caroline was the oldest sister so she was kind of a stickler. She was also a firm believer of being a strong, independent woman so needless to say my fear was quickly diminished by living with Caroline." I said honestly.

"How'd she manage to do that?" He asked squinting.

"She taught me how to defend myself as well as a number of quick and easy ways of making distractions like smoke bombs." I said with a chuckle and Scott shook his head.

"A talent that came in handy. I appreciate her helping you out on that aspect." Scott said. He picked up a picture of Caroline and I sitting in a boat fishing and I shook the unpleasant thoughts from my head.

"They found her in the river practically in two pieces. Mom and Karen were coming for a visit and we were all going to go fishing but Caroline went missing. I sat on the dock for hours just waiting." I could feel my hands shaking and Scott gave it a squeeze reminding me that he was still there.

"They said she had fought her attacker so hard that they wouldn't be surprised if she left permanent scars on them. She was always so strong and to be torn apart the way she was...I think Caroline's death is what changed my mom the most. She wasn't just devastated but the rage that built inside of her was beginning to take over her life. The entire year after I lived with Karen in Washington D.C without a single visit from my mom." I explained seeing Scott's face had changed entirely.

"Where was she?" He asked enthralled with the details.

"Karen said she was looking for a place to set up but I knew that was a lie. This time was different. I knew something was off. She was looking for the monster that killed Evie and Caroline. It's strange to think that monster is actually my dad." I said with a dark chuckle.

"She wanted to move to France because she thought we would be able to escape this plague of devastation we seemed to carry with us. After living with Karen for a little over a year I didn't want to leave the states." I said looking down at my hands in my lap.

"Why not?" Scott asked and I looked over at him.

"I...I was able to keep tabs on you guys once I started living with Karen. Online and through Louis's job. He constantly flew back here for work stuff. That's how I knew about Stiles mom." I admitted and Scott looked surprised.

"Why didn't you reach out to us then? I mean after things with my dad were pretty final and Stiles practically being a shell of a person because he lost you right before his mom got sick...you could have contacted us." Scott almost sounded angry but I shook my head.

"I was terrified Scott! The last two people I loved were brutally murdered. The thought of something happening to you guys because of me sent me into a full on panic attack. Just knowing that you both were alive and as well as you could be was all I had to hold onto." I explained and he seemed to understand.

"Then why did you come back here? After your mom was killed, why would you come back to Beacon Hills if you knew it wasn't safe?" Scott asked.

"Because I accidentally managed to make my dad think I moved to France." I said making Scott furrow his eyebrows.

"How did you do that?" He asked confused.

"W-when I heard that Stiles mom died I knew I had to be here but we were set to leave that very night I found out. So I ran away. I got on a train and made it just in time for the funeral." I said seeing Scott's jaw drop.

"You were there? Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you tell us?" Scott asked quickly finding it impossible that I would have been there.

"Because I knew that I couldn't stay. I didn't want you both to lose me all over again and Stiles feel even more alone. I just...I wanted to be there for him, for you both and it was the only way I could do it without hurting you even more." I explained letting tears roll down my cheeks. Scott shook his head trying to wrap his mind around what I had just told him.

"What about your mom?" Scott asked bringing the story back around to where we truly started.

"After the funeral I took the train back the same night thinking my mom was going to be super pissed that I had taken off like I had but..." I trailed off and Scott sat up looking at me.

"It's okay." He must have heard my heart beating faster as I thought about that memory.

"I-I walked through the front door and that smell invaded me so quickly I felt my knees tense up before I even saw the mayhem. Furniture was splintered and torn apart, glasses shattered and everything was covered in blood. I felt sick and I started to cry and shake." I explained and felt myself doing the same thing seeing the images in my head. Scott scooted closer and put his arm around me.

"I followed the blood trail and called out to her but she didn't answer. I just kept calling and got nothing in response so I just kept following the blood trail until I got back to the bedroom. I stood outside that door for 20 minutes too afraid of what was on the other side. Not even thinking about whoever might actually be alive and lurking in the shadows because I just wanted to see my mom." I sobbed and looked at Scott who stared back at me looking just as scared as I felt.

"When I finally went in the room I could see my mom's arms and legs tied to the bedposts but she was covered by the comforter. I called out to her and when she didn't answer I couldn't fight the urge to run out and try to help her but..." I felt a sob rack my chest and Scott pulled me into his lap.

"It's okay you don't have to tell me anymore." Scott cradled me like a baby as I sobbed into his shirt.

"S-she was in pieces Scott. The b-bastard cut her into pieces. H-her face was beaten to a bloody pulp and he carved symbols into her c-chest. I-I" Scott just squeezed me tighter.

"Shh it's...who am I kidding, it's not okay. None of that is okay. Cry as hard as you need to. I'm not going anywhere." Scott said resting his chin on my head as I held onto him. I could feel his tears hit my cheek and he was crying too. I don't know how long we sat there but Scott's body heat was keeping me from feeling how late it actually was. I let out a big sigh and Scott moved his chin to look down at me.

"I know saying sorry won't make you feel any better but I just wish I could go back and change things for you. If I could stop all of those things from happening to you...I would." Scott said making me nod.

"I know you would. It felt surprisingly good to tell you about the many horrors in my life. I don't feel so alone anymore." I admitted and Scott wiped a tear off my cheek.

"You won't ever have to feel that alone again if I can help it. I promise Maggie. I won't ever leave you." Scott said firmly and I surprisingly believed him. I rested my head on his chest and pushed him to lie on the hammock. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and I sighed.

"Tomorrow is the anniversary of her murder. I've got no plot to mourn over, no place of worship to cry at. All I have are these frozen moments in a box that are outweighed by all the bad that followed them. All this...death." I said pushing the shoebox next to Scott.

"That's not all you have. You've got a family here that will make more good memories for you to put in that box." Scott patted the lid of the box and I chuckled.

"You listen to my entire Wes Craven of a life and still call yourself family? Did you not pick up on the theme that I'm like the kiss of death?" I joked but Scott shook his head.

"No you're not. Some sick bastard murdered 3 really amazing women and somehow, someway will be taken down. They didn't die because of you Mags. They died because someone took their lives. Don't ever say you are the kiss of death." Scott said sounding more mature then I've ever heard him.

"Well then I guess I'm glad to have you in my little dysfunctional family." I smiled softly before resting my head on his chest.

"You know, if Stiles knew he would-" I stopped Scott by putting a hand on his chest.

"I'm not ready for Stiles to know all of this yet okay? I want to try and rebuild with him. I don't want him to be my friend again because he feels sorry or guilty. I want _my_ Stiles back. Just the way I left him." I explained and Scott bit his lip.

"Fine." Scott agreed and I spit on my hand and held it out as he eyed it.

"Really? The spit shake? We're back to that already?" Scott asked knowing it was the handshake we did when we were kids. I eyed him back and he spit on his hand and shook mine.

"We really need to come up with a better handshake." Scott wiped his hand on his shirt and laughed. When Scott's mom finally called him for being late and out past curfew I was able to go inside to lay in bed without so many horrible thoughts running through my head. That night I dreamed of how I wish my life would have gone staying in Beacon Hills with Scott and Stiles.

**[Stiles POV]**

I sat down in class waiting for Scott to come into class and give me some of information on what happened with Derek the other night that somehow made Maggie go into hiding. She hadn't come to school since the Derek run in and I would never actually admit that I was concerned but when Scott said he was going over to check on her I had to fight the urge to go with him. When he finally walked into class I wasted no time in asking questions.

"So did you run into Derek last night?" I asked but Scott didn't even turn around.

"No I told you I was going to check on Maggie last night." Scott said.

"Is she still alive?" I asked trying to sound uninterested.

"Yeah she's alive. She's just having a rough time right now." Scott explained but didn't elaborate.

"I bet. Finding out that Derek wasn't the alpha that bit you must have been mind boggling, speaking of do you have any ideas on who the alpha might be?" I asked and Scott let out an annoyed sigh.

"I don't know." He answered and I leaned back in my seat.

"How about if you remembered enough to know whether the alpha actually killed the bus driver or not?" I asked leaning forward again.

"I don't know." Scott kept using the same answer and I was started to get annoyed myself.

"Oh do you think Allison knows-" Scott cut me off.

"I DON'T KNOW!" He said loud enough to get everyone's attention. Just as people started to look away from us, Mrs. Lexington handed back our tests. I got an A on mine and felt a relief wash over me until I saw the epic D that was plastered on Scott's test.

"Dude you need to study more." I joked and he shrugged.

"I know." He completely missed the joke entirely.

"I was joking. It's only one test man, you can make it up. Do you want me to help you study?" I offered as he tossed the test in his notebook.

"No I'm supposed to be studying with Allison tonight." He said making my senses heightened.

"That's my boy!" I congratulated but I heard his snort.

"It's just studying." Scott said playing it off.

"Um no it's not!" I corrected.

"It's not?" He finally glanced back at me actually clueless.

"No it's not! Not if I'm forced to live vicariously through you. If you go to her house today and squander that colossal opportunity I- I swear to God I will have you de-balled." I raised my voice slightly in fear that Scott would screw this up for himself.

"I don't know. I might reschedule and go hang out with Maggie." Scott said making me feel like my head was going to explode.

"Are you kidding right now? I hope you're kidding. Trust me, Maggie will be fine." I said with a laugh.

"You don't know what's going on with her!" Scott turned around in his chair and I sat back a bit seeing how serious he had gotten.

"What's going on with her?" I asked almost afraid to know.

"What's going on with who?" We both looked up to see Allison standing there.

"Nothing." Scott said smiling at her.

"Actually we were talking about Maggie. She's out another day." I said feeling Scott's eyes on me.

"Well I wouldn't worry too much about her. I went to see her yesterday during my free block and she was being taken care of pretty well if you ask me." Allison made a face before sitting down next to Scott.

"Taken care of? By who?" Scott asked.

"Your friend Derek. He looked like he was leaving when I got there and they were play fighting. It was cute." Allison said making Scott and I both about die on the spot.

"WHAT?!" We both shouted this time attracting the attention of the entire class.

"When was this?! Are you sure it was Derek?" Scott asked frantically and Allison's eyes went wide.

"Yesterday around 11:30 and yes I'm sure but don't tell her I told you. She was really shy about it." Allison said and Scott looked back at me while I sat fuming. How could she be messing around with the enemy? Derek may not have bitten Scott and made him a werewolf but he was still not on our side. The guy clearly was a nutjob and for her to be doing...whatever it was that she was doing with him is just completely out of line. I seethed through the rest of class and angrily grabbed my books while Scott told Allison to wait for him outside.

"Hey I know you're just as confused as me right now but don't ask her about it today." Scott stopped me and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Why the hell not?" I asked growing increasingly angry.

"Just don't! Not today. We'll ask her tomorrow." Scott said before running to catch up with Allison. I shook my head and tried to keep from getting angry but just as I passed the office I saw Maggie at her locker. She looked over and saw me before I could make a quick exit.

"I see you're walking fine today. Sorry about the knee." She said softly as the bell rang.

"I see you've finally decided to pull yourself out of bed." I spat seeing her roll her eyes slightly.

"I just came to pick up my homework. I don't want to fall behind when I just got here." She said pulling out a few books.

"Maybe you should stop screwing around then and actually attend school." I said watching her freeze as she grabbed her last book.

"I haven't been screwing around. I've just been-" She went to speak and I stopped her.

"I don't care!" I raised my voice making her slump back slightly.

"W-why are you being so mean?" She asked sounding almost childlike which made me chuckle.

"Why are you being so naive? Grow up Maggie and try opening your eyes. You are creating a situation that really shouldn't have to become our worry. We have bigger things to focus on other than your personal agenda." I said gripping the strap on my bag. She bit her lip to keep it from quivering and I knew immediately that Scott was going to be pissed. He told me not to approach her and I could tell just by looking at her she was on the verge of tears. She shut her locker door and hurried past me before a tear could make it out of her eye but I knew I was in deep.

Despite being pissed at her for fraternizing with the enemy there was one weakness I had when growing up and that was seeing Maggie cry. I hated it. I hate seeing any girl cry but something about watching Maggie cry was different. She was so strong when we were kids that she had like this internal conflict with herself like she was physically going to fight off the tears from escaping her eyes and showing any kind of weakness. It was heart wrenching to watch and the fact that I might have caused her to cry kind of followed me to my last few classes.

I walked out to my jeep after the last bell and hopped in only to see Maggie sitting on the secluded part of the school with her face in a book. I let out a sigh and debated going over to talk to her again until I saw something fall from her face and hit the page she was reading. I focused on her face and saw it was splotchy and red.

"Dammit." I said aloud hitting my steering wheel. There really wasn't anything I was going to say at the moment to make the situation better so I backed out of the space and tried to forget I totally made Maggie cry but my heart was suddenly racing as I stopped quick to avoid hitting someone who walked in front of my jeep.

"What the-" I looked out of the glass to see Derek holding his arm up at me right before he crumpled to the ground. This day was turning out to be simply amazing. First I find out Maggie is necking with the stupid wolf, then I make her cry and now I might have killed her stupid boyfriend. This was shaping out to be an awesome week altogether.


	7. I Hope This Gets To You

**[Stiles POV]**

"You've got to be kidding me. This guy's everywhere." I said to myself as I waited a moment to see if he was going to get up but he didn't even after the cars behind me were honking at me to move. Scott ran towards me and looked confused.

"What the hell?" He said as if I had hit him. I got out just when Scott crouched down in front of Derek who looked like crap.

"What are you doing here?" Scott asked Derek and I felt someone run up next to me. It was Maggie and she had wiped her tears away but her eyes were still rimmed red.

"Are you okay?" She asked making Derek look up.

"I was shot." Derek muttered.

"He's not looking so good dude." I pointed out and Maggie let out a sigh of disgust.

"Why aren't you healing?" Scott asked sounding panicked. Maggie and I both looked at the cars getting more and more agitated with me by the minute.

"I can't. It's a different kind of bullet." Derek breathed.

"A silver bullet?!" I said leaning forward only to be on the receiving end of a glare.

"No you idiot." Derek seethed at me.

"That's what she meant when she said you have 48 hours." Scott said making Derek look even more perplexed by his condition.

"What? Who said 48 hours?" Derek asked sounding almost afraid at the timeline.

"The woman who shot you." Scott said simply.

"You know who shot him?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah after I left your place last night I heard the shots and tried to see what was going on." Scott said and before I could bitch him out about not calling me up to tag along Derek started freaking out. He seized up and his eyes turned blue. I took a step back but Maggie got to her knees next to Scott.

"What are you doing?! Stop that!" Scott demanded.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you! I can't." Derek's eyes were still blue like that of his wolf as he cut his eyes towards Maggie.

"It has to be some sort of Wolfsbane. I was reading something about this the other night." She said making all three of us look at her stunned.

"What?!" Derek and I both said.

"Derek you've got to get up!" Scott insisted but he didn't move.

"People are walking over here." I said seeing Jackson get out of his Porsche.

"Help me get him into the jeep." Scott said to Maggie and she was careful where she grabbed him to help Scott haul him up.

"What? Dude I'm not babysitting him by myself! This is your wolfy mentor." I protested. Derek was the last person on this earth I would ever want to spent time with.

"I don't want to go anywhere with him!" Derek said as well.

"You aren't really in a position to argue help, Derek." Maggie said sitting him in the passenger seat.

"Then you come with so I don't kill him." Derek said making me clench my jaw. I thought Derek was the last person I'd want to spend time with but him and Maggie together knowing they've been secretly fooling around ranks a bit higher on that list.

"Please Maggie?" Scott asked and she let out a sigh before cutting her eyes towards me.

"Fine." She walked around the back of the jeep towards me as I held onto my door in shock that this was actually happening before she got in the back.

"I need you to find out what kind of bullet it was." Derek said looking at Scott.

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" He asked as I jumped into the jeep not happy about the situation at all.

"She's an Argent! She's with them." Derek said as I checked my rearview mirror to see Maggie biting her lip.

"Why should I help you?" Scott asked. It's a bit late for that since he's already in my jeep.

"Because you need me." Derek said pompously. Scott looked back and I saw Allison approaching.

"Fine I'll try. Maggie are you-" Before Scott could finish she shook her head.

"I'll be fine Scott. Just stay in touch okay?" She said making me look back at her again. Scott nodded his head at her before looking at me.

"Get him out of here." He hit the side of the jeep and I fumed.

"I hate you for this…so much." I put the jeep in drive and pulled out of the lot leaving Scott to deal with the angry mob we had created.

"Do you have that book with you?" Derek said obviously talking to Maggie.

"No it's at the house." Maggie said.

"Great! We'll stop at your house, borrow the book-" Maggie cut me off.

"You can't borrow it." She snapped at me and I gripped the wheel tighter.

"Fine." I drove biting my tongue towards Maggie's.

"Why does it smell like tears in here?" Derek asked with a grumble. I looked in the mirror at Maggie who blushed slightly looking embarrassed.

"That would be me. I'm silently crying at how gross it's going to be to clean your were-blood out of my jeep." I covered earning a growl from Derek and a sigh of relief from Maggie. Figured I owed her that one.

"Just get this piece of crap moving." Derek said making me want to tell him to bite me but telling a werewolf to bite you probably wouldn't be the smartest thing in the world. There was an awkward silence as we drove towards Maggie's and I was thankful when we finally pulled up. I jumped out to let her out and Derek stopped her.

"You don't have to help me today…if you don't want." Derek said looking worse for wear but Maggie eyed him.

"I-I'll be fine. Besides I don't want to have to explain to the Sheriff how you killed his son." She hoped out and Derek closed his eyes tightly as Maggie pushed past me to go into her house. I got back in the jeep and gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"First you won't go with me without her and then you tell her she can opt out if she wants, what the hell is that all about?" I asked not even bothering to look over at him unsure if he would even answer me.

"She's having a rough day. Clearly someone made her cry and if I had to guess, that someone would be you. While I feel she will impede me from wanting to rip your heart out, I don't want to make today any harder for her." Derek said opening his eyes.

"Since when did you start caring about Maggie?" I looked over at him and he cut his eyes to glare at me.

"Try and pull your head out of your ass for today. She doesn't need your shit." Derek said and I felt personally offended. Despite not being close with Maggie anymore, who does he think he is to tell me what Maggie needs?

"How the hell do you know what she needs?" I asked harshly but before he could argue with me I jumped at the sudden hit to the side of my door as Maggie returned with a bag. I got out and let her back in.

"You go in for a book and come out with a bag." I said shutting my door.

"Wrap this around the wound until we can figure out what kind of bullet it was." Maggie handed Derek an old rag completely ignoring me and he looked at her.

"What the hell is that? It looks like an oil change rag." I said eyeing the dingy cloth. Maggie and Derek exchanged glances again before he did what she said.

"Oh that's great. Exchanging looks and ignoring me. That's awesome. Don't mind me. I'm merely the driver." I said icy. Maggie pulled out the book from her bag and started to look through it.

"Look for Wolfsbane based weapons. The smell is familiar but I can't place it." Derek said through gritted teeth. I glanced over at him as he pulled off his jacket.

"Try not to bleed out on my seats. We're almost there." I said glaring at the road.

"Almost where?" Derek asked.

"Your house." I said like he was stupid. Where the hell else would I take him?

"What? No you can't take me there." Derek said sounding a bit panicked.

"I can't take you to your own house?" I asked baffled.

"Not when I can't protect myself." Derek said in a matter of factly tone.

"He's right. Whoever shot him will no doubt come looking for him. It will be the first place they'd think to go and I don't know about you but I'm not too fond of being shot." Maggie said without looking up. Derek looked back at her and I became overwhelmed with annoyance. I pulled the jeep over quickly causing Maggie to grip my seat to keep from falling forward.

"What happens if Scott doesn't find your little magic bullet? Hmm? What if nothing in that book will stop this from happening? Are you dying?" I asked fed up.

"Not yet but I have a last resort." Derek said calmly.

"What do you mean!? What last resort?!" I was tired of his secretive crap but as he rolled his sleeve up and I caught side of the festering bullet wound on his arm I felt bile rise in my throat.

"Oh my God what is that? M-oh is that contagious? You know you should probably just get out." I tried to keep myself from puking all over the inside of my jeep and looked away but I suddenly became very aware of the smells that were coming off of him.

"Stiles! Stop being such a baby!" Maggie yelled at me.

"You can get out too if you want to babysit him!" I yelled at her in return and Derek huffed.

"Start the car…now." He said simply and I was in shock he thought he was still able to make demands in the state he was currently in.

"I don't think you should be barking orders with the way you look okay? In fact I think if I wanted to I could just drag your little werewolf ass out in the middle of the road and leave you for dead so your little were-nurse can take care of you." I jerked my thumb back at Maggie who shook her head but it was Derek's glare that held my attention.

"Start the car or I'm gonna rip your throat out…with my teeth." I stared at Derek and could actually see him ripping my throat out in his eyes. I pursed my lips together and started the jeep back up.

**[Scott's POV]**

My head was a million and one places but the moment Allison pushed me down on her bed I was lost in her. The way her lips moved on mine, how her hands ran up my chest to grip my face and how my hands naturally just found the curve in her hip. I ran my hand down her dress as our lips moved and I tried to keep my cool but suddenly I felt my wolf nagging at my brain and I opened my eyes for a split second to see my claws had come out. I shoved my hand under her quilt and she pulled back.

"What's wrong?" She asked looking nervous.

"Uh…um nothing. I just…I don't want you to feel like you have to do something you don't want to do." I tried to cover but she smiled at me.

"I'm not doing anything I don't want to do. Are you?" She asked making me chuckle.

"Are you seriously asking me that question?" I said before she resumed kissing me. My phone started going off and I knew it was going to be Stiles. He was not happy about being stuck with Derek but I was hoping that Maggie would at least keep him calm.

"Are you going to get that?" Allison asked me breaking the kiss.

"It's probably just Stiles. It'll go to voicemail…eventually." I said making her smile again but when she reached for my phone I jumped.

"Wait!" My hand was exposed but my nails had retracted. My spaz moment had pretty much killed the mood as Allison leaned off of me. I read the text on my phone and it was from Maggie.

**Text from Mags:**   
_I take it you didn't tell Stiles about what today was._

"Oh no." I said aloud apologizing to Maggie for anything Stiles might have said or will say to upset her today.

"What's wrong?" Allison asked moving the bag off the bed to sit next to me.

"Stiles must have already managed to upset Maggie. I knew asking her to hang out with him today was a bad idea." I said and Allison put her hand on my back.

"Why? What's going on?" She asked and I sighed.

"Today is kind of a bad day for her. I don't really know how much she's told you about herself but today is her mom's death anniversary. That's why she was out of school this week." I explained and Allison put her hand to her mouth.

"Oh my God. I had no idea. I feel horrible." Allison said running her hand through her hair.

"Why do you feel horrible?" I asked confused.

"Because when I stopped by and saw her with Derek I kept pushing the fact that she was cuddling up with him when she was clearly just trying to be alone. I feel so stupid." She put her hands on her face and I pulled them away.

"Don't beat yourself up. You didn't know. I didn't either until last night." I said honestly and she looked over at me.

"She told me how heartbreaking it was to have to leave you and Stiles all those years ago. I bet that was really hard on you." Allison rubbed my back and I nodded.

"It was but I could never be mad at her like Stiles is. Even if I wanted to be, all I keep thinking about is all the good things that happened to us when we were together and I find it impossible to hate her. I guess it's different for Stiles because he lost his mom a little after she split." I said feeling Allison rest her head on my shoulder.

"How did you all become friends?" Allison asked out of the blue. I thought back and couldn't help but smile.

**_~*~Flashback~*~_ **

_I gripped my mom's hand tightly as we walked into Beacon Hills Elementary school for the first time ever. Today was the very first day of Kindergarten and I was beyond nervous. Mom and Dad fighting this morning didn't really help my nerves any but the stomach ache I complained about wasn't getting me out of this. I eyed the other kids as Mom talked to the teacher. Some had already made friends which made me worry that I wouldn't fit in anywhere._

_"Scott? It's time to let go now honey." My mom said staring down at me. She had to pry my hand from her own as the teacher put her hand on my shoulder._

_"Scott, why don't you go over to the blue table and meet some of your classmates." The teacher said with a smile. I looked over at the blue table and there sat a girl with stringy black hair and glasses coloring while a boy with a bucket on his head sat trying to glue things to a piece of construction paper. The girl looked up from what she was doing and eyed me._

_"C-can I…" I whispered and she kept her lips sealed as I tried to ask if I could sit next to her._

_"What? I can't hear what you said." The kid with the bucket on his head yelled and I noticed there was cut out eyeholes in the bucket. I started to panic and I wanted to run but the girl pulled out the chair next to her._

_"Want to sit with us?" She asked and finally smiled. The tension in my stomach eased and I sat down quickly. She handed me a piece of paper from under her drawing and shared her crayons._

_"I'm Maggie, what's your name?" She asked me._

_"S-Scott." I said trying to keep the hair out of my eyes._

_"I like your hair Scott." Maggie said gesturing to my hair with her marker._

_"Thanks, I l-like your glasses." I said making her smile._

_"He likes plastic? What?" The boy with the bucket on his head said._

_"Don't mind him. He had an unfortunate run in with the crazy glue when he first got here. He should have a face by the end of the week." Maggie said brushing him off._

_"What's his name?" The boy asked with the bucket on his head._

_"His name is Scott!" Maggie yelled and the kid nodded making the bucket move._

_"This is-" Maggie was about to introduce me to the bucket head kid but he stopped her._

_"I thought we were going to come up with a nickname before making friends!" He said and Maggie rolled her eyes._

_"What's wrong with his first name?" I asked and Maggie almost looked surprised that I spoke._

_"It's pretty…unique. Starting your first day off with a name like his and a bucket stuck to your head could really carry on in life so we thought we'd try and make the situation…smoother. For his adulthood sake." Maggie explained and I just nodded._

_"What's his last name?" I asked trying to help._

_"Stilinski…yeah I know, not much to work with." Maggie said continuing her drawing._

_"What about Stiles? People call my dad by his last name all the time. That's kind of an grown up thing right?" I offered and Maggie stared at me for a moment before looking over at the boy._

_"Stiles Stilinski…I love it." She smiled brightly and I smiled back._

_"Your new name from this day forward is Stiles Stilinski." She yelled and the eyes under the bucket when wide._

_"That's awesome! Thanks man!" The kid held his hand up for a high five and I high fived him. By the end of class, Maggie had finished her drawing of what the best part of her first day of school was and I was happy to be included in the drawing that said: The best part of my first day was meeting my best friends Stiles and Scott._

**_*~*End Flashback*~*_ **

"We've been best friends ever since that day." I said looking over at Allison who had a smile on her face.

"That's the cutest story I've ever heard. Do I even want to know how Stiles got a bucket stuck on his head though?" Allison asked with a laugh.

"Stiles was a very strange kid. It grows on you though." I laughed.

"I imagine it does." Allison added. I thought for a moment and let out a sigh.

"Maggie had our backs no matter what the situation was when we were growing up. Whenever someone bullied us or whenever we doubted ourselves she was always there to beat people up or show us just how much better we were at something then we had originally thought. She believed in us and without that I don't think I'd be half the person I am today." I admitted honestly as Allison laced her fingers into mine.

"I'll have to thank her then." Allison smiled.

"The sad thing is that everything we built up as friends only took 6 years to slowly break apart. I mean for me I'm still sort of in shock but I feel like…I feel like I failed her. Even though I know there's nothing I could have done at 10 years old I still feel like there should have been something more I could do to help her. Be there for her like she was there for me." I explained and Allison tightened her grip on my hand.

"You can't change the past Scott. All you can do is be there for her now. Remind her she's worth something like she used to do for you and Stiles. Bullies won't be a problem for her I'm sure." Allison said making me smile. I glanced down and saw a picture sitting in the top of a box. I picked it up and looked at it. The woman in the photo was definitely the one who shot Derek.

"Who's this?" I asked tilting the picture towards Allison.

"That's my dad's sister, Kate but she's more like my sister. She just got in last night." She said happily.

"Last night?" I said under my breath but she heard me.

"Yup but she said she had some car trouble…I think." Allison said unsure.

"She looks familiar." I said trying not to give too much away.

"She actually used to live in Beacon Hills so maybe you saw her once." I sat the picture down and saw a few other things in the box that looked interesting. I picked up a sheet of pictures and Allison cringed.

"Did you take these?" I asked.

"Yeah back when I thought I was a photographer." She snorted.

"They're pretty good." I said honestly thinking they weren't so bad but Allison pulled them out of my hands.

"Uh no they're not. I stopped when I realized I was so terrible at it." She took the pictures and started picking them apart as I continued to dig into the box and pull out paintings.

"Uh that's when I thought I was into painting, terrible at that too." She said taking it from me.

"Maggie likes to draw. I'm sure she'd think it was cool." I added as I pulled a folder with the word Poetry on the front of it out of the box.

"That's when I was into poetry, terrible doesn't even come close to describe that." She said with the slightest tint of blush on her cheeks.

"What are you good at then?" I asked out of curiosity. She paused for a moment before biting her lip.

"I'm going to show you but you have to promise not to laugh." She said and I nodded. She took my hand and drug me out of her room and down the stairs.

"So I was nationally ranked as a kid and my dad really wanted me to go on but I don't know I just didn't really like it." She said as I followed her into her garage which was also filled with boxes.

"Promise you won't laugh." She said as I looked around.

"I promise." I said unconsciously but as I looked up she had a bow and arrow pointed at my face making me flinch backwards.

"What the hell is that?!" I asked taken a back.

"It's a compound bow and I'm pretty sure it requires an arrow to be harmful." She smiled behind the bow and I moved it to where it wasn't pointed at my head.

"So that's what you're good at? Archery." I said as she put the bow down.

"You said you wouldn't laugh." Allison said with a playful frown.

"Maggie once wanted to learn how to throw knives. Trust me I'm…" I trailed off when I saw the wall of guns that took up the other half of her garage. I was suddenly wondering just how hazardous dating Allison was to my health as a werewolf and a human being.

"So I guess I should explain, we're not some separatist gun family. My dad sells firearms to law enforcement." Allison explained but that didn't make me feel better at all.

"Oh…that's good. So um, you plan on joining the family business?" I asked making her smile at me.

"I don't know, you tell me. Do I look hot with a gun?" She asked pulling me towards her.

"Hotter without." I said before wrapping my arms around her waist and giving her a kiss. We both jumped when we heard a door open and rushed to hide behind the car.

"Hey Chris, get your ass out of the fifties and come help with the groceries." I heard a female voice yell and knew that we were in the garage with Mr. Argent.

"Be right there." He said putting down whatever it was he had carried in. For a moment I thought we were in the clear until I looked up and saw him resting his arm around against the truck. We were so insanely busted.

**[Stiles's POV]**

I had no idea where to drive to so I just kept driving trying to stick to the back roads in case he needed to make a quick exit to wolf out. I kept texting and calling trying to get Scott to give me a clue of any kind to end this hellish nightmare but it would appear he turned his phone off.

"There is at least 20 different types of Wolfsbane but one three that could cause this kind of immediate damage." Maggie spoke and I snorted. Maggie heard and looked up from her book.

"Don't start okay Stiles?" Maggie said sounding annoyed.

"I just find it funny how you all of the sudden know everything there is to know about werewolves and first aid. What other secrets are you hiding?" I asked not expecting an answer but when Derek shifted his head to look at her and I saw her gazing at him I slammed my hand down on the steering wheel again and pulled over.

"That's it! The little looks you two keep sharing are really starting to piss me off." I turned around in my seat and Maggie looked at me confused.

"You have no idea what you're talking about Stiles so for once why don't you just keep your mouth shut." Maggie said rudely and I shook my head.

"Hey! You're in my jeep so try being a little more respectful!" I pointed at her and she jumped towards me.

"We could always step outside and I could kick your ass there if you prefer!" She challenged and I bit my lip.

"What are you going to do? Jump on my back and claw at my neck again?" I asked and she punched me in the throat without a second thought making me choke and grip my throat.

"Cut it out! I swear you two are like an old married couple!" Derek shouted making Maggie sit back in the seat and frown as I coughed and tried to swallow without pain. My phone finally rang and I was relieved to see it was Scott.

"H-hello." I said raspy.

"What's wrong with your voice? You sound like you just woke up." Scott asked and I rolled my eyes glaring at Maggie in the mirror.

"Y-yeah woke up to a throat punch." I groaned.

"I somehow got roped into having dinner with Allison's family but that will buy me more time to find the bullet." Scott explained and I shook my head in frustration.

"What am I supposed to do with him?" I asked completely over this whole saving Derek thing.

"Take him somewhere, anywhere." Scott said sounding like he was pacing.

"By the way he's starting to smell." I said feeling Derek cut his eyes at me.

"Like what?" Scott asked curiously.

"Like DEATH!" I seethed hearing a groan from the backseat.

"Okay, take him to the animal clinic." Scott said.

"What about your boss?" I asked double checking.

"He's gone by now. There's a spare key in a box behind the dumpster." Scott said and I sighed knowing that Derek would probably rip my face off if I took him there.

"You're not going to believe where he's telling me I need to take you." I handed him the phone and he took it.

"Did you find it?" Derek asked sounding like he was literally on the verge of death at any moment. As Derek talked to Scott I glanced back at Maggie who had her eyes closed, mumbling as she held onto her necklace tightly.

"Didn't think you were much of a prayer. I guess you've changed a lot more than I thought." I said looking out of the window.

"I'm not praying. I'm asking my mom to give me strength." She said lowly keeping her eyes on me. I shifted in my seat feeling incredibly uncomfortable now.

"If you want to stay alive, find the bullet." Derek said before hanging up and handing my phone back.

"Where are we going?" Maggie asked looking at Derek.

"The animal hospital." I said before he could answer.

"Great." Derek gritted out.

"Anywhere is better than this jeep." Maggie mumbled and I hit the gas harder making her fall back in the seat. As we pulled up to the animal hospital, Maggie helped Derek limp over to the back door as I searched for the key to open it. As I threw the door up I got a text from Scott.

"Does Nordic blue monkshood mean anything to you?" I asked reading the text just as Maggie let Derek sit down on a pile of dog food.

"It's a rare form of Wolfsbane. He's going to have to bring me the bullet." Derek held onto his arm as Maggie adjusted the blood soaked band around it.

"Without it, he'll die." She said looking scared for the first time all day. I opened the door and Maggie hauled him up off the dog food.

"Okay, take the shirt off." Maggie said and Derek moved to pull his shirt over his head.

"Why is that necessary?" I asked as he flung the bloody shirt to the side to reveal the veins in his arm were now black and the wound was oozing.

"You know that doesn't look like something some Echinacea and a good night's sleep couldn't fix." I said but Maggie slammed her bag down on the table making me jump.

"Can you be serious for like 5 seconds!?" Maggie freaked out on me and I was a bit caught off guard.

"He's dying for God's sake, Stiles! Have you no compassion?" She continued to yell at me like I was a child.

"Since when do you give a rat's ass about Derek?! You just met him a few days ago and last I heard you tossed his ass against a wall! How did you manage to completely fall for the guy in a few days for crying out loud!?" I asked not even caring that Derek was standing there.

"I haven't fallen for him, I'm human! Can't you see that he is the key to helping Scott get through all of this shit alive? How come you can't see past your own hate for him long enough to know his survival is important to keeping our best friend alive? Or do you just not care?" She asked in return and I felt like exploding.

"I CARE MORE THAN ANYONE! You weren't here when all of this shit started Maggie! I've been by Scott's side since day one and while you skip school to let that bastard in your pants, I'm the one teaching Scott how to control his wolf so he doesn't end up killing his first girlfriend. You don't have a fucking clue what I've done to keep Scott alive especially when you're sleeping with the enemy." I couldn't stop the words from flowing out but Maggie shifted back on her feet like I had slapped her.

"Y-you think that's why I've missed the last few days of school…because I've been hooking up with Derek?" She asked in disbelief.

"You suddenly appear after 6 years looking completely different with all these secrets and new skill sets, why not add slut to the list right? Is that such a far cry?" I said crossing my arms over my chest.

"Stiles." Derek said my name as if to signal I've gone too far but Maggie's face said it all. She picked up her bag and ran out of the door we had just come through and I kicked the side of the operating table.

"You are…such an idiot." Derek said making me look over at him.

"How about you focus on not dying." I said not wanting to hear his crap.

"Once the infection reaches my heart it'll kill me anyway." Derek breathed.

"Positivity isn't in your vocabulary at all huh?" I said throwing my arms out.

"Well you chased off the only other hope I had so if Scott doesn't get here in time we'll need to go with the last resort." Derek started to search through things.

"Maggie wasn't doing anything to help this situation but provide you with TLC." I said disgusted and Derek looked over at me.

"You are seriously that dense aren't you? You honestly think something like that is going on between us?" Derek said like I was some idiot without a clue.

"I'm not blind Derek. You two share looks like you want to eat each other's faces." I pointed out and Derek growled.

"If you pulled your head out of your ass for a minute maybe you'd see how she looks at you." He finally found something in the drawer and froze.

"What? What did you find?" I asked trying to wrap my head around what Derek had said as far as Maggie but attempting to stay focused on the problem at hand as well.

"The last resort." He said continuing to stare into the drawer.

"Which is?" I asked for further elaboration as he yanked a long saw out.

"You're going to cut off my arm." He said like it was no big deal. I honestly couldn't find the words to say as he stumbled back over to the table with the saw.

"Oh you finally discover silence now? You should have found that 5 minutes ago before you completely blew it with Maggie." Derek said and I finally found my voice.

"Okay can we just forget about that right now?! You want me to do what?" I asked again as he thrusted the saw at me. I picked it up and hit the button on it quickly dropping it back to the table.

"Oh God…I can't. What if you bleed to death?!" I asked trying not to state the obvious concerns.

"It'll heal if it works." Derek started to tie a tourniquet around his bicep. I let out a sigh of complete worry. The last thing I thought I'd be doing when I got up this morning was cutting off Derek Hale's arm.

"Look, I don't know if I can do this." I said trying to fight the urge to puke from the visuals in my head.

"Why not?" He asked with the tie still in his mouth.

"Well I'll be cutting into the flesh, sawing through the bone and especially the blood." My voice squeaked a bit and Derek looked up annoyed.

"You faint at the sight of blood?!" He asked as if that would be unnatural for a kid my age.

"No but I might at the sight of a chopped off arm!" I raised my voice.

"God you are such a pain in the ass. I should have let Maggie pummel you." Derek shook his head and I stood up straight gripping the table.

"I'll be sure to put that on your tombstone." I mocked with squinted eyes but he let his arm drop on the table.

"Fine how about this: either you cut off my arm or I'm gonna cut off your head." Derek said glaring.

"Okay I'm so not buying your threats anym-" Before I could finish the thought Derek came across the table and jerked me across it.

"Whoa! Okay, bought sold, totally! I'll do it." I said quickly feeling my heart beating so fast it was probably in my throat. Derek tried to speak but he seemed to be struggling.

"What? What are you-" Derek leaned to the side and puked black blood all over the floor.

"Holy God! What the hell is that!?" I asked jumping back.

"My body…it's trying to heal itself." Derek said still crumpled over as I stepped away from the smell of the vile mess on the floor.

"Well it's not doing a very good job of it." I muttered trying to cover my mouth.

"This is why we needed Maggie! She could have given me extra time but you'll have to do it now." Derek said leaning on the table extending his arm.

"What? How could she have made this any better?" I asked confused.

"There are things about her you need to know but you keep pushing her away. She is vital in all of this if you want to survive. Stop fighting it." Derek growled in pain and I stood utterly lost in his words.

"Do it now!" Derek yelled holding his arm out. It was now or never. I prayed silently to myself picking up the saw.

"Oh God…" I said as Derek continued to yell at me. I was not ready for this.

**[Scott's POV]**

How I managed to end up at the dinner table with Allison and her family is beyond me but here I was sitting next to Allison trying to make a good impression without worry about Stiles blowing up my phone every five minutes or the fact that I was sitting across from the woman that could be Derek's killer.

"Can I get you something else to drink other then water?" Allison's mom asked me and I shook my head.

"No thanks. Water's fine." I said taking a sip.

"How about a beer?" Mr. Argent asked and both Allison and I looked at him.

"Um." I was unsure of how to respond.

"How about a shot of tequila?" He pushed.

"Dad! Really?" Allison said making her dad eye me even harder.

"You don't drink Scott?" He asked sounding surprised.

"I'm not old enough to." I said.

"That doesn't seem to stop most teenagers these days." Mrs. Argent spoke up.

"No but it should." I followed quickly knowing that I've had a few drinks every once in a while but nothing too crazy.

"Good answer, total lie but good answer. Well played Scott. You might actually survive the night." Kate Argent said glancing over at Mr. Argent almost mockingly. There was a brief moment of silence as I sipped my water before he jumped right back at me.

"Ever smoke pot?" He asked making me spit my water into my glass and Kate laughed.

"Okay changing the channel to something a little less conservative, Allison tells us you're on the lacrosse team. I don't know anything about that, how do you play?" She asked me and I glanced over at Allison with a smile. Knowing she's talked about me with her family was kind of cool.

"Well you know hockey? It's a lot like that but played on grass not ice." I explained.

"Hockey on grass is called field hockey." Mr. Argent said as he continued to eat.

"Oh…" I trailed off and Allison looked annoyed.

"It's like field hockey but the sticks have nets." Allison helped me and I looked at Kate.

"Exactly." My phone went off and I glanced at it before shoving it back in my pocket.

"Can you slap check like in hockey?" She asked and I tried to focus on what she was saying knowing that Stiles and Derek were freaking out.

"Uh yeah but it's only the gloves and the sticks." I said taking a sip of my water.

"Sounds violent…I like it." Kate said with a smirk.

"Scott's really amazing too. Dad came with me to the first game. Wasn't he good?" Allison asked looking at her father but he wasn't going to budge on the hardass front.

"He was fine." He said but Allison snorted.

"He scored the last shot, the winning shot." Allison was really talking me up and Kate loved the back and forth they were doing.

"True but he didn't score at all until the last few minutes." Mr. Argent pointed out and I bit my lip. Allison ignored it.

"His last shot ripped a hole right through the goalie's net. It was incredible." She said taking a drink of her water.

"Well I think the goalie was probably playing with a defective stick." Mr. Argent's negativity finally got to Allison as she slammed her glass down on the table. I could hear her heartbeat rising and I reached for her hand lacing our fingers together. If she could steady my heartbeat then I knew I could steady hers.

"On second thought, um I think I'll take that shot of tequila." I said and they all looked at me unsure for a moment before letting out little laughs.

"You were kidding right?" Mr. Argent asked.

"Yeah of course." I said letting out a held breath. Allison's heartbeat finally leveled out and I relaxed a bit. My phone went off again and I sighed.

"I'm sorry but I have to take this. It's Maggie." I said looking over at Allison. I walked out of the dining room and into the kitchen.

"Hey are you okay?" I whispered into the phone.

"I'm going home. Stiles crossed the line and I just…I don't have it in me to be in the same room with him anymore." Maggie sniffled and I could tell she was crying.

"What did he say? Are you okay?" I asked concerned that she was walking home at night crying.

"It doesn't matter. You just need to hurry or Derek isn't going to make it." She said trying to breath. I almost felt like I could hear her heartbeat through the phone.

"Mags…I'm sorry." I said honestly.

"I'll just talk to you later." She hung up the phone and I walked back into the dining room.

"Is she okay?" Allison asked and I just frowned.

"I might have to go soon." I said and Allison nodded.

"Oh no you don't. You have to stay for dessert. I don't know enough about you just yet." Kate said and I looked over at Mr. Argent.

"I-I guess I could stay a little bit longer." I said sitting back down in the chair.

"Something wrong with your friend?" Mr. Argent asked.

"Oh she's just having a bad day." I said.

"Another girl calls you and you are trying to race out of here? Seems kind of suspicious." Kate said and Allison shook her head.

"Oh no no Maggie is his best friend. They grew up together her in Beacon Hills and she just moved back." Allison explained and Kate glanced over at Mr. Argent.

"She's one of the Steven's kids isn't she?" She asked him and he nodded.

"She goes by Carter now." I corrected and Allison looked confused.

"Well I imagine if I had her family history I'd change my last name too." Kate sipped her wine glass.

"What are you talking about?" I asked confused. Did she know about her family being murdered? How could she possibly know that?

"Well when I lived here the word on the street was that the Stevens sisters were a part of some witches cult. I heard they all moved to complete the 4 corners of the supernatural realm or something." Kate said making Allison laugh.

"No way! That's crazy." Allison sounded amused and I held Kate's eye contact.

"That's not true. I've known Maggie and her mom almost my whole life." I said getting Kate's eye contact back.

"Almost isn't your whole life. Perhaps some families just like to keep their secrets hidden." Mr. Argent said making me feel a bit of rage.

"Well why did your friend move back in the first place? Where exactly is she moving from?" Kate asked but I could tell that she knew a lot more then she was letting on.

"I'm sure it's just gossip. Maggie is a really great girl and she's really good friends with Scott." Allison put her hand on my arm and I calmed down. I couldn't help but wonder if there was any truth to what Kate and Mr. Argent were implying. It would make sense as to how she managed to back Derek off and how she was able to stun him enough to get me out of there. It would also explain her sudden knowledge of the supernatural things that plague my life. I jumped up from the chair and they all looked at me.

"May I use your restroom?" I asked abruptly.

"Sure it's down the hall to the left." Mrs. Argent said. I checked in with Stiles even though I was irritated with him and he said Derek wasn't doing so hot. Derek had said I needed to bring the bullet in order to stop whatever it was that was happening to him but I hadn't really had a chance to look. I tried the handle on the garage and the alarm sounded.

"You look like a lost puppy." Kate popped up around the corner.

"Uh um I'm just looking for the bathroom." I tried to cover but knew it was a stupid one.

"The bathroom? Does that look like the bathroom?" Kate asked crossing her arms. I looked at the deadbolt and mentally kicked myself.

"No." I said simply.

"No…use the one in the guest bedroom." She pointed down the hall.

"Okay, thanks." I said a bit irritated that I was caught but I headed towards the guest bedroom. I flicked the light on and before I could even walk into the bathroom defeated I smelt it. That lingering sweet poison of Wolfsbane. I followed my nose to the bag under the guest bed and knew I must be in Kate's room.

"Jackpot!" I whispered to myself pushing the door closed. I unzipped the bag and opened the wooden case that rested on top of everything else. I flipped the latches on it and saw it was a bunch of bullets. There was a little brown box with a plant carved into it resting at the top of the box so I pulled it out. I texted Stiles the words on the top before opening it up and seeing that there was a bullet missing. It had to be the bullet she shot Derek with. I pulled one out before quickly putting the box back in the bag and shoving it under the bed. I hurried back out and Allison was holding my jacket and bag.

"I convinced them to release the death grip. I tried texting Maggie myself and she didn't respond so go check on her and let me know how she's doing." Allison put her hands on the front of my shirt and I smiled softly as I threw my jacket on.

"Sorry I kind of wigged out back there." I said and she shook her head.

"No I'm sorry for that being the worst, world's most incredibly awkward dinners in the history of incredibly awkward dinners." She said making me laugh.

"No uh it wasn't the worst. There was this one dinner where my parents told me they were getting a divorce. This kind of comes in as a close second." I teased and she smiled before leaning in for a kiss. I glanced sideways and saw Mr. Argent practically hawking us.

"Your dad's watching." I said but she kept coming.

"Good." She whispered before kissing me. I kissed her back before pulling away and smiling at her. I pulled the door open but was stopped by Kate.

"Wait a second guys." I turned around and Kate looked a bit off. Not as friendly as she once did.

"What is it?" Allison asked.

"I have to ask Scott something." She eyed me and I felt the bullet practically burning a hole in my pocket.

"Me?" I asked and she glared.

"Yeah, you." She shut the door and I stood there trying not to show my panic.

"Okay." I said staying calm.

"What did you take from my bag?" She asked with a smile.

"What?" I asked putting my stupid face on.

"My bag. What did you take from it?" She asked again and I looked over at Allison who almost looked more uncomfortable then me.

"You need me to repeat the question? Maybe annunciate clearly?" She was getting irritated with me now.

"What are you talking about?" Mr. Argent now joined us and I knew I was dead.

"My bag was open in the guest room and when I left it was shut and Scott comes in to use the bathroom, he leaves and the bags open." Kate walked Mr. Argent through what had happened and Allison stepped up.

"He didn't take anything." But Kate was quick to shut her down.

"Something was taken from my bag. Now look, I hate to be the accuser here Scott because I really do love those adorable brown eyes but I don't know if you're a clepto, curious or just plain stupid but answer the question…what did you take?" She asked again and Allison's heartbeat was rising.

"Nothing, I swear." I said again seeing the anger building in both Kate and Mr. Argent's faces.

"You don't mind proving it do you?" She challenged me.

"Are you serious?" Allison practically begged with Kate.

"How about you show us what's in your pockets?" Kate asked and I felt my own pulse rise.

"Dad?!" Allison looked to her father for some sort of help but I knew he wouldn't give it.

"Come on Scott, prove me wrong." Kate challenged me and before I could think of a way to weasel out of this Allison shook her head.

"I'll prove you wrong. It wasn't Scott going through your bag, it was me." Allison took the fall and I could tell they didn't believe her.

"You." Kate repeated and Allison pulled something out of her pocket.

"Yeah, me." She said and Kate and Mr. Argent's faces went cold. I looked at whatever she had in her hand and knew my eyes almost fell right out of my skull. I turned towards the door knowing that Mr. Argent would probably want to skin me alive and I tried not to start fist pumping or pissing myself at the exact same time. Stiles was right, Allison wanted to have sex with me. Mr. Argent finally rushed me out of the house and banished Allison to her room and I tried to focus on getting to the shelter. If I could save Derek then this day wouldn't have turned out half bad. I got a weird feeling and looked up to see I was in front of Maggie's house. All those dinner conversations came flooding back and I sighed. I dropped my bike and walked up the sideway only to stop dead in my tracks when this burning, shield like feeling hit my entire body. I stepped back and looked around the house.

"What the hell?" I whispered to myself. I stuck my hand out and tried to push through whatever was stopping me but pulled my hand back quickly when I felt the pain again.

"Scott McCall, it's been quite some time." I looked up to see Karen eying me from the darkness of the porch.

"Mrs. Carter, it's nice to see you again. You look a lot different." I said with a smile but she held a strange face as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yes, it would appear we've both been through extreme transformations." She said looking me over. I swallowed hard as her eyes bore holes in me.

"I-is Maggie home?" I asked hesitant but before I could answer Maggie walked out of the front door.

"Scott? Wh-what are you doing here?" Maggie looked surprised to see me.

"I wanted to check on you." I glanced over at Karen and Maggie looked at her as well.

"I'm going to take a walk with Scott. I'll be back." Maggie ran back inside and Karen eyed me the whole time until Maggie ran back out with her bag on her shoulder.

"Not too late Maggie." Karen said as Maggie and I walked down the street.

"Did you get the bullet?" Maggie asked adjusting the bag on her shoulder.

"Yeah I almost got caught but I got it. I wanted to stop and see if you were okay. You didn't sound so good on the phone." I said and she shook her head.

"Do you think Derek and I have something going on?" She asked me randomly and I shook my head.

"No? Why would you ask me that?" I asked and she rolled her eyes.

"Well Stiles is convinced I've been skipping school to roll around with Derek. Almost an exact quote." Maggie said sounding hurt.

"I'm going to kill him." I ran my hand through my hair and Maggie put her hand on my arm.

"No I just think it's time I give up on making it work with him. I may deserve his angst for leaving when he needed me but…I don't deserve that." She said looking at her feet. The mention of Maggie leaving reminded me of what Kate said. She must have seen the reservations I had on my face because she nudged me.

"Are you okay?" She asked me and I stopped walking.

"You would tell me if you had a big secret right? I mean I told you I was a werewolf so naturally you would know that I'd never judge you or look at you differently right?" I asked and her face seemed to freeze and falter like she was considering a lie.

"I told you about how my family was killed, about my mom…why would you think I'm hiding something?" She asked me narrowing her eyes.

"You told me how they were killed but you didn't say why. Why would your dad show up after all these years and pick off your aunts one by one?" I asked without thinking and I could see that I had upset her.

"Last night he was just a psycho who took my family from me and now you think they did something to deserve being massacre? Wow, I should have stayed in Washington." Maggie started to walk back towards her house.

"Maggie! Maggie wait! I didn't mean that!" I ran after her and gripped her arm but I suddenly felt like I was being sucked into a black hole. I knew my eyes were open but what I was seeing wasn't right. I could hear screams, smell blood and scenes from someone else's life flashing rapidly in front of my eyes. It wasn't until I saw Maggie's mom did I know what I was seeing. I could feel the pain and panic that Maggie felt in her chest as she walked in to see her mom butchered. I felt something push me and I finally pulled out of whatever vortex I was thrown into. I was breathing hard and Maggie was on the ground next to me with her knees drawn to her chest.

"What the hell was that?" I asked breathless.

"I'm sorry. My emotions…I latched onto you. Are you okay?" She asked me and I was still confused and completely out of breath.

"What just happened? How did-" I looked over at Maggie who had her eyes closed.

"Talk to me Mags…please." I pleaded crawling towards her. Her face scrunched like she might cry but she pulled back and composed herself.

"You aren't the only one learning to control something Scott." Maggie whispered with her eyes still closed.

"Wh-hat are you trying to control?" I asked unsure if I was actually ready to learn the truth but Maggie opened her eyes and looked at me.

"I'm a witch." She said and I felt my eyes grow wide.

**[Maggie's POV]**

Scott sat dumbfounded for a few minutes before his phone started going off. He scrambled to get it and I remembered that Derek was dying. I helped him to his feet but his legs started to wobble.

"We need to get to the animal hospital. Derek needs that bullet." I said helping Scott walk. We walked in silence but I could practically hear Scott's wheels spinning in his head a mile a minute.

"Are you paying me back with the silence or did I inadvertently put some sort of silencing charm on you?" I teased and Scott looked at me.

"Can you do that?" He asked sounding confused.

"What? No that was a joke, Scott. Please just talk to me." I asked and he shook his head.

"It's a lot to process I guess. Hold on." He stopped walking and stood up straight shaking his arms and legs out.

"I guess quick healing is a plus for latching. Took me a few days to get my strength back after latching with Derek that night." I said making him look at me.

"You did that with Derek?" He asked surprised.

"Yeah so trust me I know how you feel. It's not fun." I admitted. His eyes went to his feet before daring a glance at me.

"H-how long have you been a…you know?" Scott asked as we started walking again.

"Karen doesn't really like when I call us witches. She prefers healers but it's a birth right. I didn't really start tapping into it until I found out about you. I always blamed it for the reason my dad went after my family. I guess he thought by killing us all off he would somehow become some sort of superhuman." I said rolling my eyes.

"Why would you start tapping into it now? I mean I've got super healing." Scott asked scratching his head.

"That's true but I guess I figured if I could help you down the road then I'll take advantage of it. It's supposed to be a gift but so far the only thing it's done is give me paper cuts and fatigue." I chuckled and looked over at Scott who still looked baffled.

"What does it mean? Are you like Sabrina? Do you like fly around on brooms and stuff?" Scott asked and I hit his chest.

"That's a bit stereotypical. That would be like me asking you if you terrorize villages and eat babies." I said and Scott bit his lip.

"I barely know anything about being a werewolf and you think I have a clue about witches?" Scott finally loosened up a bit.

"Well if it helps I'm still learning how it all works too but as far as I know there are no brooms and I don't twitch my nose either." I said making him laugh.

"You do realize that this goes against everything we wished for as kids right? The whole being popular and having tons of friends." I smiled thinking about the night before a new school year started, sitting in the tree house we had made over the summer and wishing on a meteor shower to be popular and having tons of friends.

"Normal has always been a struggle for us." I added and Scott put his hand out.

"I'm with you though, no matter what." Scott said confidently. I smiled at him before taking his hand. As only children, I think Scott is the closest thing I've ever had to a brother and I'm completely okay with that.

"Let's get to the hospital and save Derek." Scott said squeezing my hand. I had some reservations about walking back into the hospital but I did feel slightly guilty for abandoning Derek with Stiles. We heard screaming as we reached the doors but it wasn't Derek. It was Stiles.

"Okay! HERE WE GO!" Stiles yelled.

"Stiles?" Scott called out.

"Scott?" Stiles responded as we walked through the doors to see him with an electric saw put to Derek's festering arm.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Scott asked in shock that Stiles was about to cut Derek's arm off. Stiles let out a sigh of relief before throwing the saw down.

"Oh you just prevented a life time of nightmares." Stiles said before I stepped out from behind Scott. He froze slightly.

"Did you get it?" Derek asked and Scott handed him the bullet. Derek stood up straight and stared at the bullet.

"What are you gonna do with it?" Stiles asked.

"I'm gonna…I'm gonna-" Derek dropped the bullet.

"Derek!" I ran out to try and catch him but he was too heavy.

"NO!" Scott watched the bullet roll into the vent.

"Derek! DEREK WAKE UP!" I yelled and Stiles crouched down next to me grabbing Derek's face and slapping him a few times.

"Come on Derek! Scott what the hell are we gonna do?" Stiles asked in a panic.

"I don't know! I can't reach it." Scott yelled.

"Focus Scott!" I yelled as Stiles continued to slap Derek.

"I think he's dying…I think he's DEAD!" Stiles said letting go of his face.

"He's not dead. Derek! Stay with me!" I yelled putting a hand over his heart to see if I could feel a beat. I felt Stiles eyes on me.

"I got it! I got it!" Scott yelled and Stiles looked away from me to Derek.

"Please don't kill me for this." Stiles said before balling his fist and punching Derek in the face.

"Jesus!" I shouted jumping back but it seemed to do the trick because Derek opened his eyes as Stiles shook out his no doubt sore hand. Scott and I helped him to his feet. He bit the top off the bullet and emptied it onto the metal table.

"I need a lighter." Derek looked up at me and I dug through my bag to find one I used to light my incense earlier. He lit the Wolfsbane on fire and it sparked in front of us. Scott put an arm in front of me as if it would shield me from something before Derek swept the substance into his hand and started to grind it into his wound. He dug his finger into the hole and started to growl in agony before hitting the ground.

"Oh my God." I whispered holding onto Scott's arm. The wolf in Derek growled as the blackness in his veins started to disappear. It was working. Once the wound finally healed on it's own, Derek opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

"That…was…AWESOME! YES!" Stiles said in triumph. Scott and I both shook our heads at him and I ran over to help Derek get to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked sounding almost annoyed.

"Oh except for the agonizing pain?" Derek said answering Scott's stupid question.

"I guess the ability to use sarcasm is a good sign of health." Stiles said making Derek look at him with a death glare.

"I brought you something that will help with that." I reached in my bag and pulled out a water bottle full of a muscle replenishing mixture I had made after leaving the first time. Derek eyed it before taking it from me.

"I don't think green tea is going to help him." Stiles said but Derek cut him off.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Derek pulled the blue band off his arm and Stiles huffed.

"Look we just saved your life which means you're going to leave us alone. You got that?" Scott said making Derek glance at me.

"All of us." Stiles added catching his attention.

"And if you don't then I'm going back to Allison's dad and I'm going to tell him everything-" Derek cut Scott off.

"You're going to trust them? You think they can help you?" Derek asked.

"Why not?! They're a lot freaking nicer then you are." Scott said sounding like a child but it made Derek sigh.

"You want to try and do this on your own? Fine. Be my guest but you don't speak for everyone." Derek said and all three of them looked at me.

"The Argent's don't just go after werewolves. Eventually they'll come after you too. You're special Maggie and you have the potential to be very powerful which isn't okay in their minds." Derek explained.

"What? What are you talking about?" Stiles spoke up.

"I can protect her." Scott said with a tight jaw.

"You can barely protect yourself." Derek spat.

"Says the guy whose life I just saved!" Scott took a step towards Derek and I stepped between them.

"STOP! Please just…stop." I yelled completely exhausted from this day.

"Scott, you are my best friend and I love you but you and I both know that Derek can give you answers no book ever could. Until we find the alpha we are going to need Derek." I said looking at him. He looked unhappy but I knew that he know Derek was a necessary evil in our lives.

"And Derek, Scott is all I have. If you ever try to pit me against him again like you just tried to, I'll make sure you regret it." I warned Derek and he gave me a slight nod.

"Now I'm tired and completely exhausted as far as werewolves are concerned so if you don't mind I think I'm going to head out." I said grabbing my bag up.

"Hey Maggie." Derek called after me and I turned around.

"Thank you. I'm sorry you had to deal with this today but I do appreciate it. I owe you one." Derek said seeming almost embarrassed to apologize and thank me in front of the boys.

"I'm sorry but what is so pivotal about today?" Stiles cut in throwing his hands out. I could see Scott make a face out of the corner of my eye and Derek sighed.

"Today is the anniversary of my mom's death. I hope you enjoyed it." I smiled before walking out of the animal hospital. I heard the door swing behind me and let out a sigh knowing this day was far from over.

"Maggie wait! I didn't know!" I turned around and Stiles stopped dead in his tracks.

"Is that supposed to magically fix things? You didn't pay attention to the dates when you found out about my family so it's okay that you've been treating me like shit." I said fighting the urge to get upset.

"If I would have known I wouldn't have-" Stiles started but I cut him off.

"Called me a slut?" I said and he looked at his feet almost looking ashamed.

"I-I'm sorry." He said looking at me.

"You don't have to be. The thing is you keep treating me like crap and I keep telling everyone it's okay, that I deserve it for leaving you when you needed me the most. I felt if you got all of you anger out now that maybe someday you'd be able to try and work on rebuilding our friendship but I was wrong." I said biting my lip as Stiles stood there at a loss of words.

"I may have deserved it before but I don't deserve what you said to me today." I swallowed tears that I knew were begging to get out.

"I- I don't know what to say." Stiles said honestly licking his lips.

"That's okay because from now on I'll stay out of your way. I won't bother you, try and talk to you or even pretend that things are okay between us. As much as it kills me to walk around knowing that you hate me, I'm done hating myself." I said feeling a weight being lifted off my chest. Stiles actually looked hurt by what I had to say so I turned on my heel and headed home. He didn't chase after me this time. I didn't get a text or a phone call. It was a silent walk home. My head was surprisingly clear. I wasn't upset about Stiles or worried about Scott. For the first time since I came back to Beacon Hills I felt like I could really breathe. I walked up the front steps and nearly jumped out of my skin when Karen spoke.

"Where exactly did you walk to that you're getting back an hour and a half past curfew?" Karen asked sitting on the swing out front.

"You gave me a heart attack!" I said gripping my chest. When she merely sipped her mug I realized she was waiting on an answer.

"Scott wanted to show me where he worked." I lied and she nodded. I moved to the front door to go inside.

"How long has Scott McCall been a werewolf?" Karen's words stopped me in my tracks and I turned to look at her slowly.

"How…how did you…" I tried to figure it out and Karen leaned back.

"The house is protected. He couldn't figure out why he couldn't get past the front step so I take it it's a fairly new thing for him too." Karen said standing up.

"It hasn't been that long." I admitted and Karen moved towards me.

"I thought I made myself fairly clear about how I felt about werewolves Maggie." Karen said and I rolled my eyes.

"But it's Scott." I said a bit too whiny.

"I don't care who it is. They're dangerous." Karen said sternly just as Louis walked out.

"What's all the fuss about? I thought she'd be happy?" Louis said looking confused.

"I haven't quite gotten there yet." Karen sighed.

"What's going on?" I asked looking between Karen and Louis.

"You know how I came home early today? Well I came from the doctor." Karen said making me a bit worried.

"Are you okay? You aren't sick are you?" I put a hand on her forearm and she shook her head.

"I'm about 4 weeks pregnant." Karen said bluntly. They both watched my face closely to gage a response and despite our unfinished conversation I smiled.

"That's amazing! Congratulations! I'm going to be an aunt! Auntie Maggie." I said hugging them both.

"There's the excitement I was looking for." Louis laughed but Karen was struggling with a smile.

"I picked up a cake to celebrate. Come on before it gets warm." Louis said making Karen and I cock an eyebrow at him.

"It's an ice cream cake…" Louis said as if we were the dense ones before rushing into the house. I turned back to Karen and she looked at me with a frown.

"I'm not trying to upset you Maggie, I'm just trying to protect you. Being pregnant can throw off my powers entirely so you'll be the one that has to protect us all the next few months. I can't have you distracted or running with wolves." Karen said and I felt that crushing weight on my chest again. The ability to breathe just a few moments ago was short lived now that I had the weight of my only family's safety thrown onto my shoulders.

"I'm here Karen. I promise. I won't let anything happen to you guys." I said taking her hand in mine. She gave me a smile and wrapped her arms around me.

"I know kiddo. I know." She kissed my forehead and I took a deep breath. Things were about to get much more complicated.


	8. Lost And Found

**[Maggie's POV]**

Boyd stared down at our first project together that we just got back with a big fat A in red marked on the top. I was proud and a bit comforted that Boyd finally cracked a real smile around me like he was letting his guard down.

"I can't believe we just got an A on that project." Boyd said with a smile on his face.

"See! I told you working with the new girl wasn't going to be bad. Your girl knows her history." I bragged and Boyd nodded at me.

"I guess I was wrong about you." He said with a softened face. I extended my hand.

"Friends?" I offered and he laughed taking it and shaking my hand.

"Friends." The bell rang and Boyd and I walked down the hall.

"You want to eat lunch together?" He asked just as Stiles walked by catching my eye. Boyd must have seen me shake the stare off and look back at him.

"I guess that means you're having lunch with Stilinski." Boyd said.

"No actually I've got to pick up some baby books from the library." I said without thinking earning a confused, wide eyed stare.

"My aunt is pregnant! Wow sorry I should have started with that." I said laughing. His face relaxed with relief.

"Thanks for the heart attack. Congratulations." Boyd put a hand on his chest and I smiled.

"Thanks. We'll do lunch tomorrow though. You can even help me tab some of the pages." I tapped his chest and he laughed.

"In your dreams." He said as I walked into the library. I hadn't looked at my phone but I had a text from Scott.

**Text from Scott:**   
_Hey just wanted to let you know Stiles was asking if you were having lunch with us today._

I shook my head texting back quickly that I was busy. It had been almost two weeks since Stiles and I had last spoken. After getting the news about the baby, I decided to focus all my energy outside of school work to helping Karen. Louis had to leave on business with his brother Nathan the day after our celebration and I promised him I would start looking into everything baby. Considering this was their first child, we were all sort of noobs at what we were truly in for.

After a few days of Louis being gone, Karen was anxious and stressed all the time. I was constantly making her tea to calm her down and the anxiety spell I learned was as easy as reciting a McDonald's order now. I thought ignoring Stiles would be difficult but in all honesty it was surprisingly easy. It was kind of sad how much easier it was to breathe now that I wasn't watching my every word or trying to go out of my way to not piss him off. I told Scott that I wanted to focus on spending time with Karen while Louis was away and he understood but I know he is aware of what went down that night. Even Derek managed to get my number to text me and ask if I was okay but I tried not to focus on that night.

I was moving forward and forward meant making sure my grades were up for the parent/teacher conferences coming up, helping keep Karen sane and making new friends. So far I had a pretty good relationship with Allison despite her always being stuck at Lydia's side. We had French together so we managed to bond during at least one period alone. Boyd was starting to warm up to me and Danny was who I started and ended my school day with because of being locker neighbors. I was actually starting to feel more at home now without all the stress of impressing anyone.

I got on the computer to search for where the baby books would be and found them fairly quickly. However some sick, twisted tall person must have known I would be looking for them because they were yet again stranded on a top shelf. I leaned and jumped and practically scaled the book case before I heard a soft chuckle.

"That's right, laugh at the short girl." I said annoyed.

"Oh- I- I'm sorry. I...I just." I turned around to see a tall, cute, blonde boy with curly hair standing at the corner of the bookcase completely stumbling on his words.

"I'll accept your apology if you grab those books for me." I smiled at him and he blushed instantly. He walked over and I pointed to the ones I needed as he pulled them down.

"Before you get the wrong idea, I'm not pregnant. My aunt is and I'm just doing some research." I said quickly and he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"That's nice, very thoughtful of you." He said practically a whisper. I stared into his hazel eyes and swear I could get lost in them but it was something about his face that seemed familiar.

"I'm sorry but have we met before? I feel like I've seen you somewhere." I said and he chuckled.

"We have French together." He said swaying on his feet. I immediately felt horrible.

"Wow I feel like a bitch now." I screwed my face up and he shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. I sit in the back and make sure to miss pop quiz days." He said making me laugh.

"How do you even pass that way?" I asked and he put his finger up.

"I said we had French together, I never said we were both passing French." I laughed and he laughed an adorable laugh as well.

"I'm-" I went to introduce myself to him but he cut me off.

"Maggie Carter, I know. It's kind of hard to forget someone so beautiful." He froze for a moment before continuing.

"I'm Isaac, Isaac Lahey." He said timidly.

"Aren't you charming? It's nice to meet you Isaac and thank you for your help." I said tucking some of my hair behind my ear.

"It's not charm, it's the truth. You have a really pretty smile." Isaac said making me feel my stomach knot up. He was far too cute to be complimenting me so much.

"Thanks." I was just about to walk away and he reached out to me but didn't actually touch me.

"I was actually wondering if you could help me with something." He asked looking almost nervous.

"Only if you need a book from the low section." I joked and he bit his lip.

"Actually I do. I sort of threw my back out at work yesterday and I can't bend to get the French book I need." I followed Isaac a few aisle's over and he pointed at the book.

"I get about here and I can't move." Isaac bent forward to retrieve the book but stopped before he was even bent fully over. My eyes caught sight of a dark bruise on his lower back.

"Oh my God where do you work, Rocky Balboa?" I asked and he scrambled to cover his bruise.

"I-I work in a graveyard. I fell out of the gravedigger, it's not as bad as it looks." He said looking clammy.

"That's kind of a morbid job for someone so young." I frowned at him.

"Keeps my dad off my back if I work so I don't mind." He said seeming a bit tense. I bit my lip and put a hand on his arm making him seem to calm down.

"I'll give you the book if you let me see." I offered and rolled his eyes before lifting the shirt.

"Happy? It's just a bruise." He said playing it off but the moment my hand got close enough to brush the skin he gritted his teeth.

"Don't-" He started to say and I met his gaze.

"Please…let me try something." I said and his wince started to loosen before giving me a nod. I didn't know what it was about Isaac but I wanted to take his pain away. I couldn't just do a spell on him in the middle of the school library so I reached into my bag and put a dab of lotion on my hand showing it to him.

"What's that?" He asked.

"Um…sports cream. I tend to fall down a lot so it helps to take the pain away." I covered and he eyed me strangely before I rubbed it onto the bruise. He gritted his teeth again and I muttered the spell.

"Blood rises to darken the skin, take away the pain he's in." Isaac looked at me and laughed.

"What was that?" He asked and I pulled my hand away.

"Hopefully good mojo." I picked up the book he wanted and handed it to him.

"Thanks." He said cocking his eyebrow. I turned away quickly ready to run to the bathroom and scream in frustration that I had totally chased off a cute guy with my creepy ways.

"Hey Maggie…I'm glad you finally see me. It kind of made my day." Isaac said with blushed cheeks. I couldn't fight the grin that conquered my face. I practically skipped away from him and ran into someone's chest.

"Oh so-" I started to say until Stiles cleared his throat and rubbed at the back of his neck looking completely guilty of something.

"Sorry." I said sternly before walking around him.

"Come on Maggie. Can't you just talk to me?" Stiles whined. I turned around to look at him.

"There's nothing to talk about." I walked past him but he followed.

"Look I get that you hate me but I'd rather you hate me out loud than…you know, silently." Stiles words made me turn around and look at him. How could he possibly think I hated him?

"You really have no clue do you?" I shook my head at him and walked out of the library with him hot on my heels.

"Obviously I don't have a clue okay but I feel like crap about saying what I said to you on your mom's…you know…and I just want you to know I'm sorry." Stiles explained and I sighed.

"So you want forgiveness, is that it?" I asked and he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Okay fine. I forgive you Stiles. Now you can go back to feeling justified in despising me." I faked a smiled and pushed out of the side door. My phone started to vibrate and I looked down to see a text from Karen.

**Text from Karen: _  
_**_Anyway you could come home for your free block? No emergency, just need some assistance._

I worried about Karen but before I could text back Stiles gripped my wrist.

"I don't despise you." He said sounding frustrated and suddenly I felt that pulling feeling of latching with someone. I was seeing Stiles at a lunch table with Scott, Allison, Lydia, Jackson and Danny.

_"She's a know-it-all with a big mouth. The whole cute little sweetheart thing is an act, trust me."_

_"I'm going to have to agree with Lydia. I can barely stand being around Maggie on a tolerance level let alone go on any kind of date with her."_

_"There's nothing to talk out. She's a selfish pretender who doesn't care about anyone but herself."_

I snapped back and Stiles had both his hands on my arms.

"Hey are you okay? You kind of blacked out there." Stiles looked concerned but I pushed on his chest making him stumble back a bit confused.

"Just stay away from me Stiles!" I yelled at him catching the attention of a few people in the hallway as I pushed out of the doors leading outside.

"Hey! Need a ride?" I looked over and saw Derek in his black car randomly sitting in the lot.

"You know it's illegal to just hang out in a high school parking lot, right?" He rolled his eyes before he pushed the door open.

"Come on, I'll take you wherever you want to go." He tried to lay his charm on but it was me who was rolling my eyes this time as I got into the car.

"Your charm doesn't work on me but I do need a ride home so whatever it is that you want, spit it out." I grumbled putting my belt on.

"Still arguing with Stiles huh?" He said making me glare at him. I knew he probably heard our argument with his super werewolf hearing but his smug look gave it away.

"You know that's called eavesdropping. I don't care if it comes with the wolf package, it's rude." I crossed my arms over my chest and he did something I had never seen from him since I've met him. He laughed. I looked over at him and he tried to keep his eyes on the road while he laughed but he kept looking over at me.

"I think I like you better when you're irritable and intolerable." I grumbled looking out of the window.

"I'm sorry, I just think it' funny." He said making me whip my head towards him.

"What exactly is funny about it, Derek?" I raised my voice and his laughs started to die down.

"That you're completely in love with Stiles, of all people." Derek said and I felt my mouth go dry. I knew my heartbeat was a dead giveaway so there was no point in lying about it so I just shrugged it off.

"Glad you aren't denying it but you know you could do better right?" For some reason I felt the need to defend Stiles.

"He's actually a really sweet guy when he's not being an asshat, you don't even know him." I said without thinking.

"So sweet he called you a slut on your mother's death date." Derek added glancing over at me once more. I turned away and didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry that was overboard. I just…I actually meant it was strange that you could have anyone you wanted and you only want Stiles. I know he isn't a bad guy…annoying as hell but not bad." Derek was trying to lighten the situation he created but he was struggling which led me to believe he didn't back pedal often.

"You didn't offer me a ride because you wanted to know about Stiles and I so spit it out already." I looked over at him and he sighed.

"I wanted to thank you. Scott agreed to help me track down the alpha and I know he wouldn't have if it weren't for you." Derek said keeping his eyes on the road now. I had to laugh to myself and it caught his attention.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"Something I talked to Scott about the other day how you are so polite and cordial with me but it seems to physically pain you to show him or Stiles even an ounce of kindness." I said making him snarl his lip in.

"If they didn't act like such idiots all the time then maybe I wouldn't treat them as such." Derek defended and I shook my head.

"You forget that Scott wasn't born into this like you were. He's still learning and Stiles is the only normal friend he has to confide in." I explained.

"What about you?" He asked as he pulled up to my house.

"I haven't been normal for a very long time." I admitted taking my belt off.

"You know, I don't think being a werewolf is a curse like Scott does and deep down I don't think you honestly feel like being a witch is either." Derek said as I got out of the car and shut the door.

"That just goes to show you how little you know about me. Thanks for the ride." I said as I backed away from the car.

"You're welcome." It sounded like he mumbled before taking off down the street. I walked up the front walk and opened the front door to hear Karen cussing.

"Damn you, you piece of utter crap." She said and I sat my bag by the front door and hurried down the hall to see most of the contents on the floor and Karen reaching for something. I ran to the kitchen and grabbed the broom before coming back.

"Here use this." I handed her the broom and she took it gladly using it to pull down a box.

"Thanks sweetie. I've been trying to get this thing down for half an hour now." Karen smiled going to pick the box up but I stopped her and picked it up.

"What's in it?" I asked feeling the weight of the box.

"Just a few things I'm going to need. How is school going so far today?" She asked and I put my finger up before retrieving the baby book I picked up.

"I picked this up for us today so maybe when Louis comes home we can study up." I said with a laugh and Karen frowned slightly sitting down.

"I also kind of met a guy today." I couldn't help but smile but Karen's frown seemed to disappear.

"A guy? What kind of guy? Give me a rundown." Karen leaned on her hand and I sat down at the kitchen table with her.

"He's tall but so is everyone compared to me." I said rolling my eyes.

"Tall is good." She said.

"He's got curly blonde hair, the most beautiful hazel eyes and a great smile." I gushed and Karen laughed.

"What is this cutie's name?!" She hit my arm.

"Isaac Lahey…and I may have used a spell on him." I said watching Karen's face fall quickly.

"I'm sorry what?" She said sounding unamused.

"He had this bruise on his back that was so painful he couldn't bend over so I thought if I used a pain spell on him it would help." I said and Karen shook her head.

"If he's got pain that bad then he needs to go to the doctor, Maggie. You know better than to use magic on random people like that. You are just learning yourself." Karen said sternly.

"You said yourself I'm getting good though and I was trying to help someone." I defended and she shook her head.

"Just because your intentions were good doesn't mean they always are going to turn out right." Karen said confusing me.

"How can taking someone's pain away turn out badly?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest.

"You took his pain away but what if he's got internal damage? There's no pain but it doesn't stop something from becoming so bad it ends up killing him. Internal bleeding, broken bones, illness…you have to know the right spells to use or it could be fatal." Karen said making me regret meeting Isaac in the first place. I questioned everything now. What if he dies because of me or ends up as a vegetable.

"Just stop and think Maggie. Magic isn't something you can just play with. It's a responsibility that needs to be harnessed." Karen said softer this time.

"You're right, I'm sorry I wasn't thinking. I guess just kind of having my breath taken away kind of threw me off." I said disappointed in myself. Karen put her hand on my shoulder.

"I know things with you and Stiles are-" I cut Karen off.

"Nonexistent? Can we please just talk about something else? I don't want to talk about Stiles anymore today." I leaned on my hand and she pushed my hair off my face.

"I know things are hard right now but you've got to be strong. You know things always get worse before they get better and I need you to pay attention to everything that's going on around you." Karen said catching my attention.

"Why? What's going on?" I asked sitting up and looking at her more seriously.

"You know how you have the ability to latch onto things and people? Well I see signs or get feelings. Not every witch is the same in the aspect of what their capabilities are." She explained.

"And you have a feeling something bad is coming up?" I asked.

"To put it simply, yes." I could tell Karen was holding back.

"What aren't you telling me?" I asked standing up from the chair.

"I just need you to be alert and prepared, okay? Please just…do as I ask." Karen gave me a weak smile before pulling her into a hug. I was worried now but I didn't want to add any unnecessary stress on her with prying.

"Help me clean up the closet before you end up late to your next class." Karen kissed my forehead and I nodded.

"I might be late tonight. I've got to study for a Chemistry project." I said running a hand through my hair. Mr. Harris made Stiles my partner for the project but I told him I would do the research and write the project alone and he had to present it. He didn't really have a choice because I took the assignment page and walked away but I was quickly regretting it now that the project was due in two days.

We cleaned up the closet and Karen drove me back to school but before I could get out she pulled me into another hug.

"Um…Karen I'm gonna be late." I said into her hair.

"I love you Maggie." She sighed.

"I love you too. I'll be home for dinner, no worries." I laughed and she nodded before smoothing out my hair again. The moment I realized she was watching me walk to the school, I felt like Karen was saying goodbye in a much bigger fashion than usual. An uncertainty made me anxious. I got a faint feeling that something was definitely on the horizon and it wasn't going to be good.

**[Stiles POV]**

"How about a 483?" Dad asked as we sat in his squad car eating dinner.

"Hit and run to a parked car. Try something a little more difficult." I challenged not really in the mood to play this game with him but it was better than being stuck in my head at the moment.

The rest of the school day was utter suckage. After Maggie told me off, Scott told me to just give her space. On top of that I overheard Danny say something about her leaving in a slick, black import which meant she took off with Derek. I honestly didn't think she would be able to cut me out but I was mistaken. I wanted to be mad at her and call her a liar for telling me that she'd hoped I'd come around eventually but I knew I was an ass for what I said. How I managed to hurt her so harshly was beyond me and I actually kinda hated myself for it. Even in the classes we had together she wouldn't look at me. She even took charge of our Chemistry project when the work was way too much for one person. Scott didn't push the subject anymore but I guess that's because after finding out what I had done he was kinda pissed at me too. I don't know why I was letting it bother me so much. I'm the one who didn't want anything to do with being friends with her but lately she's all I thought about.

"How about 245?" Dad asked making me shake my head.

"Uh assault with a deadly weapon." I said taking a sip of my soda.

"I can tell you're really enthralled with this at the moment but do you mind answering a question for me?" I rolled my eyes at my dad.

"Yes that's a veggie burger dad and no I didn't get you fries. You can't be the Sheriff if you can be outrun by Beacon Hills elders." I said making my dad huff.

"I was actually going to ask what was on your mind. You've seemed kind of down lately." I looked over at my dad and tried to pull myself together.

"I'm fine. It's just been a long week." I lied.

"I won't pry, just thought I'd ask." Dad took another unhappy bite of his burger.

"I bet Maggie's excited about the baby." My dad's words caused me to spew my soda onto the dashboard as I choked on the word baby and tried to take a breath.

"What?!" I looked over at him who was frozen with an expression of disgust and surprise.

"Karen is having a baby. We were trying to put together a congratulations dinner but between my work schedule and Melissa McCall's work schedule we just figured you kids would celebrate for us." He said as I wiped my mouth.

"I hadn't heard. Maggie and I aren't really talking anymore." I admitted honestly.

"What? I thought things were getting better? What happened?" He asked sounding concerned.

"I just…I said something stupid and she said that she was done trying. I guess it just wasn't meant to work out." I shrugged clearing my throat.

"Must have been pretty harsh if she just gave up trying." He said making me sigh annoyed at him.

"It was and I apologized but she hates me so can we please just let it go?" I asked and he nodded. There was an awkward silence before my dad let out a sigh of his own.

"Well you didn't seem like you really wanted to be friends again anyway so I guess now you don't have to worry about it." He sipped his drink and I bit my lip.

"Yeah but I didn't want to give her a reason to not want to be _my_ friend. I was perfectly content being the one with justifiable reasons to not want to be friends with her." I explained.

"I guess you know how she feels then." I knew my dad was trying to work his crappy reverse mind control on me but he was right. I groaned and stared out of the window as I shoved fries in my mouth.

"Nobody's perfect, son. We all make mistakes and sometimes the only thing we can do is accept the other person's faults and move forward." Dad said making me shake my head.

"She doesn't want anything to do with me, dad. Trust me, she hates me." I said leaning back in the seat.

"I don't care how awful whatever you said was, Maggie Stevens could never hate you." I felt a pain in my chest and looked out at the dark road. I thought about correcting him for a moment and telling him that her name was Maggie Carter now but I didn't see any point.

"Can we please talk about something else? I'm really not in the mood to drill this into the ground." I pleaded and he looked disappointed.

"Sure but you just remember that you said one thing that upset her. You had a weak moment and apologized. She was just a scared littler girl when her mother pulled her out of bed and took her away from the only home she's ever known, from the people she loved. You had a choice, she didn't. Maybe you should consider those two mistakes holding you two back from being friends." I looked over at my dad who held my gaze. If only he knew what I said to Maggie on her mother's death anniversary. He'd probably smack the fries right outta my hand.

"Unit 1, do you copy?" The radio blasted and I instinctive reached for it only to be swatted away by my dad.

"Unit 1 copy." He said as I started to eat my fries again.

"We got a report of a possible 187 at the video store on Parker RD." My eyes nearly bulged out of my head.

"A MURDER!?" I tried to say with a full mouth.

"Copy, I'm on my way." Dad said throwing the rest of his food in the bag and starting the car up. I started to put my food in a bag to trash it because I was far too excited to eat now. It's odd how calls like that intrigue me. I really shouldn't be so jazzed over a potential murder scene but I was in desperate need of a distraction from Maggie.

As we pulled up, I noticed Jackson and Lydia near the ambulance. Dad must have read my mind because the moment he pulled off his seat belt he looked over at me.

"Stay here." He said firmly making me frown. I gave him a nod and took my seat belt off as he closed his door. Jackson looked like he was cussing out one of the EMT's but the moment he started in on my dad I opened my door.

"No you don't understand which kind of blows my mind since it should be a pretty basic concept to grasp for a minimum wage rent-a-cop like you! Okay now I WANT TO GO HOME!" Jackson screamed in dad's face but he kept his cool. I would give anything to punch him in the face at this point. Just one good shot to the face as all I ask.

"Unit 1, do you copy?" I turned back to the car as the radio went off.

"This is Unit 1, I'm on scene at the 187-" Dad said into the radio on his shoulder.

"Sheriff we just had a 415 called in but the officer on scene says it might be 207." The dispatcher said and I thought quickly about the numbers. 415 was a disturbance call but I wasn't familiar with a 207.

"A kidnapping? What's the address?" Dad said into his walkie with his eyebrows pinned together.

"It's at Karen and Louis Carter's residence, sir." I felt my heart speed up and Dad locked eyes with me.

"I'm on my way." He started hastily back to the squad car. He yelled to his deputy as I rooted through my pockets for my phone trying to all Maggie's cell.

"Are you calling Maggie?" Dad asked as he jumped in, flipped on the siren and booked it to Maggie's house.

"It just keeps ringing, no voice mail." I said calling again and again. It wasn't hitting voice mail so that means it was on but it wasn't shocking that she wasn't answering to my number.

"Let me use your phone. She might not pick up because it's my number." I said and Dad handed me his cell. I felt like my heart was running a race as we pulled up to the house to see it being taped off. The neighbors were standing outside talking to other officers and this time my dad didn't tell me to wait in the car. I ran over with him and tried to prepare myself for the worst.

"What's the situation?" Dad asked the officer on scene.

"A neighbor called in a disturbance. Said there were some loud noises, like that of an altercation but when we arrived on scene the front door was open." Officer Kline explained.

"Was anyone in the house? Karen? Maggie?" Dad asked frantically.

"No one but there is signs of a struggle and something else you should see." Dad looked over at me as I started to panic. Dad gripped my shoulder and turned me away from the house.

"Call Scott and anyone who you know talked to Maggie. We need to know where she is. It's going to be okay, son." Dad tried to keep me calm but I couldn't find it in myself to focus. I tried dialing Scott's number but I heard the screech of tires and looked over to see him and Derek running towards me.

"What happened?!" Scott asked throwing his arms out.

"They uh- something happened but they don't know what. They can't find Maggie or Karen." I explained as they looked up at the house in shock.

"Do you smell that?" Scott asked looking at Derek.

"Smell what? What do you smell?" I asked looking between them.

"Blood." Derek said. I put my hands on my head and tried to catch my breath.

"I can't pick up Maggie's scent." Scott said in a panic and Derek took his eyes off the house.

"We need something of hers if we are going to look for her." Derek said looking at me. I looked at him strangely and patted myself down dramatically.

"Sorry I don't have one of her bras on me right now." I said getting frustrated.

"STILES!" My dad called for me and I ran over to the house.

"What did you find? Is she okay?" I asked quickly.

"We ran into a problem with getting into Maggie's room. She's got a combination lock on her door and we need to get in there and see if we can find any clues as to a place she would be." Dad explained and I noticed the blood on the railing leading up the stairs.

"H-how do you know she wasn't kidnapped?" I asked swallowing the lump in my throat.

"We haven't ruled it out yet but any leads would help us figure it out quicker." Dad sighed.

"I'll only help if you let me do it myself. I'm not giving a room full of people a number to her room." I said confidently making Dad rub his temples.

"Fine but don't touch anything. This is a crime scene." He pointed at me and I nodded taking the gloves from him as I walked into the house. There were things thrown all over the place, smashed vases and broken glass from picture frames. I walked past the guy's taking pictures of the blood on the railing and walked slowly towards the room that had the lock on it. It wasn't until I was upstairs looking at the lock did I completely space on any number that would be significant for her. I reached into my pocket and called Scott.

"What did you find?" Scott said.

"She's got a lock on her door. I need a combination of numbers that would mean something to her." I explained. It didn't occur to me that I hadn't actually been inside the house yet. There were picture of Maggie as a baby on the walls and I grew anxious.

"Did you try her birthday?" Scott asked and I quickly put her birthday in but it didn't work.

"What else you got?" I asked. Scott started to rattle off numbers. Her mother's birthday, both of our birthday's, the date she left, the date she came back and her mother's death day. Nothing was working.

"Try 02-02-02" Scott said and I started to enter it until I realized it was Groundhog day.

"Groundhog day? Really? Why the hell would she make Groundhog day her combination?" I asked wanting to punch Scott through the phone.

"Her favorite animal is a groundhog. It was worth a shot." Scott said defending himself. I entered the number humoring him and it still didn't work.

"I'm out of options here man. I don't know what the hell it could possibly be and my dad is going to toss me out of here if I can't-" Scott cut me off.

"Try one more." He said making me sigh.

"What's the number?" I asked spinning the lock.

"01-03-01." Scott said and I shook my head.

"Are you serious? Are you grasping at straws now or what?" I said not wanting to go through a million combos.

"It's a date that means something to her, trust me." Scott said sounding just as frustrated as me. I turned the dial and the lock on the door opened.

"Dude, it totally worked." I pushed the door open and walked into the room. It was dark so I flipped the light on to see she had started to decorate but some things were still in boxes.

"I'll bring you out something." I said to Scott before shoving my phone in my pocket. I looked around the room and saw her bag wasn't here so that was a good sign. I backed into a chair and managed to knock over a box full of pictures.

"Crap." I said aloud as I tried putting them back in the box as quickly as I could but I stopped once I found pictures of us as kids.

It all seemed like a lifetime ago.

Things seemed so carefree and simple in these pictures and for a moment I felt myself relax. For a moment, I forgot Maggie was missing and we weren't friends as I saw the smiles on our faces in some of these pictures. I remembered every single moment. It's like her mom knew one day we would need reminders of how happy we used to be to just be in the presence of one another whether it was screwing around, getting in trouble or simply watching TV. I felt a pain in my stomach thinking about how different things were now. I heard someone coming up the steps and tucked some of the pictures into my pocket along with the scarf she wore yesterday before dad came into the room.

"You did it." He said with a sigh of relief. I nodded at him and he walked over to me.

"She's gotta be okay, Dad. Thing's can't end like they did. I can't lose her twice." I said choking on my words a little as my dad hugged me.

"You aren't going to lose her. We will find her and you'll get a second chance to make things right. I promise you that kiddo." Dad said as I hugged him back tightly. When I pulled away he gripped the back of my neck.

"Go outside with Scott and keep trying her cell." He said and I nodded before walking out of the house towards Scott and Derek.

"Here, she wore this yesterday." I handed them the scarf and they examined it.

"This will help us find any lingering scents. Does anyone know where she was supposed to be today?" Derek asked.

"Karen was pregnant so maybe she was at the hospital getting a check up?" Scott said and I looked at him a bit surprised that he indeed knew about Karen and I didn't.

"We'll check there first and then head to the school. You keep calling and let us know if you find anything." Derek said pointing at me. I didn't like taking orders from him but all I was worried about was finding Maggie at the moment. They ran to Derek's car and I resumed calling Maggie's phone praying she would pick it up and as if the man himself answered my prayers, the line picked up.

"H-hello? Sheriff Stilinski? Is everything okay?" She sounded groggy.

"Maggie it's me! Where are you?" I asked quickly.

"Stiles? Why are you calling me from your dad's phone?" She asked sounding annoyed.

"Maggie, please just listen okay?! Something's happened at your house and Karen's missing. They're saying there was some sort of struggle and Scott says that he can't find your scent but…he can smell blood." I said unsure if I should be so blunt but she had to know the severity of the situation. She was quiet for a moment but I could hear her breathing.

"Oh God…not again." She whispered sounding like she was struggling to catch her breath. The last thing she needed to do was have a panic attack out in public and black out someplace.

"Look, I know I screwed everything up and I know you said we were going to go our separate ways but please just tell me where you are so I can come get you. We need to know that you're safe…I need to know." I pleaded with her and for a minute I thought she might actually tell me but the line went dead.

"Maggie? MAGGIE?! Damn it." I squeezed the phone tightly. I plopped down on the curb and put my head in my hands.

"Come on Scott." I whispered to myself knowing him and Derek were sadly our only hope.

**[Scott's POV]**

Derek and I tried to pick up Maggie's scent as we drove towards the hospital but it was like she fell off the face of the earth.

"Why aren't we picking up her scent out here? I didn't think that was possible." I said confused and worried about Maggie.

"If something is after Maggie and her aunt didn't want her to be found then there are plenty of ways to get rid of a scent. Don't ever forget that she's a witch, Scott. When things just don't add up that will now be your go to question to ask." Derek reminded.

"Would there be any reason why I wouldn't be able to go into her house? I've tried twice before but I can't get past the steps." I asked and Derek looked over at me.

"Mountain ash would stop any werewolf but it would keep the Argent's out." He said making me groan.

"Why are you always so quick to blame everything that goes wrong in town on Allison's family?" I asked frustrated with his constant blame placement.

"Because they aren't as innocent as you'd like to believe." Derek raised his voice as we parked the car.

"As far as I can see the only people they are trying to kill is us so stop trying to put any of this crap on the Argent's." I slammed the door and Derek followed me into the hospital.

"So you think they only hunt werewolves? Witches are just as powerful as we are and have the potential to be just as destructive." Derek explained as I looked for my mom.

"They don't have any reason to believe that Maggie's family is harmful." I sighed.

"It doesn't matter. They know werewolves are here and that's enough. There's an old legend that there once was an alpha wolf that fell in love with a powerful witch and they ended up birthing a child together. Hunters around the world flocked to destroy not only the alpha's pack but the witch's coven too." I stopped walking and looked at Derek.

"What happened to the baby?" I asked curious.

"They believed that the hybrid baby was this special being. I don't know much about it, only what my mother used to tell stories about but it's a creature that has such great power that it can not only destroy all supernatural beings but human kind. So the hunters drained its blood, poured it into the sea, cut up the body, set it on fire and tossed it into a 2,000 foot hole." He said and I could feel my jaw drop.

"They didn't think bleeding it out would do the trick?!" I asked in horror.

"They had to use the four elements but it's also believed that by using the four elements to destroy the child it's the reason for natural disasters. Tsunami's, earthquakes, tornado's and forest fires…even in death they couldn't kill it." Derek explained further.

"That's a bit extreme isn't it? For a baby?" I said sadly.

"Not just any baby, it had the blood of an alpha and the blood of a witch. It wasn't just a baby, it had the ability to destroy the world." Derek said making me shake my head.

"Karen may be a witch but Louis is no alpha. I would have sensed it." I said trying to pick apart Derek's theory.

"I wasn't talking about Karen, I was talking about Maggie." Derek said pinning his brows together.

"I doubt Maggie is out looking to mate with the alpha." I said feeling a blush on my cheeks just talking about Maggie having sex with someone.

"It doesn't have to be an alpha, any wolf could get her pregnant and it would be a mixed breed baby." Derek said as I tried to wrap my head around all of this.

"The only werewolf Maggie knows is me and the Argent's don't know that." We resumed walking and Derek snorted.

"They know I'm here and if they get one hint of magically ability from Maggie that will be enough to suspect we're mating." Derek's words made my heart speed up.

"You'd mate with Maggie!?" I asked a little louder than intended.

"She's teenager." Derek said sounding disgusted.

"So!? Ever heard of a show called 16 and Pregnant?!" I asked and Derek just stared at me for a moment before shaking his head.

"Can we please find your mom now?" Derek asked. I finally spotted her and Derek ducked out of sight.

"Scott! Oh please tell me you've found her. I just talked to John and they just found a body in the basement." My heart almost stopped.

"A body!? Who's body?" I asked frantically.

"They don't know who it is. Just some random guy." She said shaking her head.

"I'm going to check the school. If she comes in..." I started to say and my mom put her hand on my face.

"I know honey." I gave her a quick hug before sprinting down the hall. I barely rounded the corner before Derek grabbed the back of my neck.

"Where are we going?! We need to get to the school." I said as he pulled me towards the elevator.

"The guy that was found in the basement was probably one of Argent's henchmen." He hit the #3 button and I shook my head.

I'm telling you, it's not them. They wouldn't hurt an innocent-" I said firmly and Derek grabbed my arm turning me towards him before I could finish.

"An innocent what?! You think she's an innocent? She's a witch Scott! Even if she was an innocent she wouldn't be safe. I'll show you what they do to innocents." Derek growled as the doors opened to the nursing bridge. Beacon Crossing Home was a quiet sector of the hospital for patients who were bedridden or dying. I'd never actually been over here and neither had my mom. She always said it was too upsetting to see people in that state and she wanted to help them before they got there.

"What are we doing here?" I asked as Derek stalked through the deadly quiet halls. Derek didn't answer me as we walked past the nurses station which looked practically abandoned. He stopped in front of a door and took a deep breath before opening it. It was dark inside and I wasn't even sure there was someone in there until I walked fully inside. There was a man in a wheelchair sitting with his eyes fixed on nothing particular, without blinking and completely motionless. Something about him seemed familiar but I couldn't place it. I finally had to ask.

"W-who is he?" I asked as Derek sighed.

"My uncle...Peter Hale." Derek answered sounding slightly pained. I hadn't seen much emotion from Derek other than anger but this was definitely sadness.

"Is he...like you?" I wasn't sure if he was a werewolf or even knew about werewolves but I figured I'd ask.

"He was but now he's barely even human." Derek said but my silence must have tipped him off that I was confused.

"Six years ago my sister and I were at school when the house caught on fire. Eleven people were trapped inside and he was the only survivor." Derek said still looking at his uncle who I was started to think was actually stuffed.

"So what makes you think they had something to do with this?" I asked knowing that Derek blamed the Argent's for everything.

"Because they were the only ones that knew about us." Derek looked at me with gritted teeth.

"Well then they had a reason." I said simply.

"Like what? You tell me what justifies this." Derek turned the wheelchair to reveal Peter's burned face. I had to move back slightly from his the shock of his burns. Even when his head hung, he barely moved.

"I-I'm telling you, Maggie is safe as long as she's not one of us. She's just a kid." I tried to say without doubt but Derek snorted.

"They say they only kill adults and only with absolute proof but there were people in my family that were perfectly ordinary in that fire. Women...kids! This is what they do and this is what Allison WILL do." Derek said sternly.

"What are you doing? How did you get in here?!" The nurse asked and I couldn't take my eyes off of Peter as Derek pulled on my arm.

"We were just leaving." Derek said dragging me out of the room. I was trying to figure it all out in my head as we got back in Derek's car and headed back towards Maggie's.

"What if it's not the Argent's? What if it's her dad? He killed her whole family so why not try and finished what he started?" I asked looking at Derek.

"So Kate Argent is just in town for what? A visit? Wake up Scott. Maggie's life depends on this." Derek said and I shook my head.

"Since when are you and Maggie so close? I've been meaning to ask ever since she volunteered to help save your life on one of the crappiest days of her life." I said kind of accusing him of something but more curious then anything.

"We aren't...close. We just...understand one another. In case you forgot, my family was killed by psychos too. I know what it feels like to feel...responsible." Derek clenched the steering wheel and I bit the inside of my cheek.

"W-what was your sister like?" I asked and he actually looked over at me surprised. He must have understood why I was asking.

"Strong, fierce, she didn't take crap from anyone but she was also outgoing and gentle. She loved making people smile." Derek said with a sigh, swallowing hard.

"She sounds a lot like Maggie." I dared saying but Derek surprisingly didn't punch me in the face, just nodded. We pulled up to the house and Stiles looked flustered as they loaded a body into an ambulance.

"Did you find her?" He asked but looked disappointed when it was just the two of us. Derek stopped me in my tracks by slapping a hand on my chest.

"Stop! I can smell her." Derek said looking around. All three of us started to scan the crowd of neighbors until I caught sight of her wide-eyed, running down the street.

"Maggie..." I said and they followed my gaze. She didn't' see us. She dropped her bags and started to run for the house.

"KAREN! KAREN!" She screamed and Derek grabbed her before she could run inside.

"Maggie calm down!" He said as she fought him.

"LET ME GO! KAREN!" Tears rolled down her face and Stiles yelled for his dad.

"She's not in there! MAGGIE! She's not in there. It's okay." I took her wrists into my hands as she tried to fight me and Derek pushed her into my arms.

"I can't be here. It'll look suspicious. Take care of her and I'll see what I can find on Karen." Derek said sternly before running off towards his car. I knew he would probably be a suspect if he stuck around so I understood but Maggie didn't stop fighting me.

"It's not okay Scott. I can feel it. I need to go inside." She cried and I could feel her shaking. I could still smell Karen's scent in the house and I figured it was probably her blood. Stiles and his dad came running towards us.

"Thank God, are you okay?" Sheriff asked her and she looked at him.

"I need to go inside the house...please." She begged looking at the house.

"I'm sorry but it's a crime scene. We've got to take you to the station." Sheriff said looking hurt to even have to say it. She shook her head and sighed letting her weight fall into me. I had to practically carry her to the squad car and I sat in the back with her as we rode to the station. It was dead quiet until Maggie broke the tension.

"82 times." She sniffled making me look down at her and Stiles spin around in the front seat.

"82 times what?" I asked seeing Sheriff Stilinski glance in the rear-view at us.

"Stiles called me 82 times." She said sounding tired.

"You weren't answering your phone and it was kind of important." Stiles said trying to explain the amount of calls.

"Where have you been for the last few hours, Maggie?" Sheriff Stilinski asked softly.

"I fell asleep in the library working on a science project. My phone was on vibrate." She explained and Stiles looked at me. I knew he was her science partner since Mr. Harris made us move our seats and he looked like he felt guilty. We pulled up to the station but as we got out of the car my phone went off. I reached into my pocket to retrieve it and Maggie's knees buckled making her fall to the pavement, hard.

"Jesus! Are you okay?" Sheriff Stilinski helped her up and Stiles shook his head at me.

"Her knees are bleeding." Stiles pointed out. They escorted her inside and I looked at the text I had gotten that made me the biggest failure of the evening.

**Text from Allison:**   
_I heard what happened at Maggie's. Is she okay?_

I decided to give her a call and she answered after the first ring.

"Hey is everything okay?" She asked sounding worried.

"Not really but we found Maggie. She's alright- well she was until about two seconds ago when I let her wipe out." I explained.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to distract. Is she okay now?" She asked.

"Scraped up her knees but they took her into the police station. Her aunt is missing, they found a guy dead in the basement and she is so lost and confused...I don't know what to do or how to help her." I said honestly.

"Just remember what we talked about. Be there for her the only way you know how. Let her know she isn't alone." She said and I let out a breath I felt like I had been holding all night with seeing what happened at the video store with Jackson and Lydia, finding out about Maggie, seeing Derek's uncle was all too heavy to handle.

"Hey, um I was wondering...where is your dad and aunt tonight?" I asked hoping she wouldn't get mad at me.

"Uh they're a town over making a deal with the law enforcement for a new shipment, why do you ask?" She asked and I tried to cut her off.

"No reason. I've got to go though so I'll talk to you later." I said quickly hanging up before I even gave her a chance to say goodbye. I ran my hand through my hair and tried to clear my head but all I kept thinking was how much worse I knew things were going to get.

**[Maggie's POV]**

I don't know how long I sat in the police station saying the same thing over and over again before they finally realized I had no idea what was going on. All I kept thinking about was how weird Karen was acting this morning when she dropped me off. I felt like I needed to go inside and put my hands on things to fully understand what was going on. Melissa McCall showed up at one point and cleaned up my knees and when she left she took Scott with her. I ended up at Stiles house at around 10PM and was unsure why. Stiles hadn't said anything the whole way there and his dad was on the phone most of the time so I stood in the foyer unsure of what our next move was.

"Okay, I just got off the phone with my deputy and he's going to keep an eye on the house in case Karen shows up." Sheriff Stilinski said putting his phone in his pocket.

"Karen and Louis are the only family I have left. I've got nowhere to go." I said realizing that for the first time tonight I was not only homeless but an orphan.

"That's where you're wrong. You've got us and the McCall's too. That's why you're going to stay here until we can track Karen and Louis down." I looked up at him surprised but not nearly as surprised as Stiles.

"What? Like here-here? With us?" He asked but his dad kept his eyes on me.

"We've got an empty room and you've always been welcome here." I bit my lip. He must be in the dark about how things are with Stiles and I these days.

"Thank you, that's a very generous offer and no disrespect but I was welcome here when I was younger. I don't think that's still true these days." I said looking over at Stiles and he looked over at me still in a bit of shock.

"Look, I know things between you two aren't the best right now but you aren't kids anymore. Bad things happen every day to the people we love, you both have witnessed it firsthand. So just…get it together before all that you have left to do is regret." I took a minute to think about what he said and felt Stiles looking over at me.

"You're right. I-If Stiles is okay with me staying here for a bit then I guess I'm alright with giving it a try." I met his gaze for a moment before he looked over at his dad.

"Y-yeah, I'm cool with it." He said looking down at the floor and daring to meet my eyes. I didn't bother meeting it though.

"Okay." I agreed and Sheriff Stilinski clapped his hands together making us both jump.

"Great, I'll get started on something to eat. Stiles, show Maggie the guest room." He said going into the kitchen. I followed Stiles up the stairs and he stayed quiet. He opened the door to a room and flipped the light on.

"I-I'll get you some fresh sheets." He said with a frown. I looked into the room and instantly knew it wasn't a guest room. There was a sewing machine that Stiles mom used to sew costumes together for us, homemade picture frames hung on the walls that she had made as well and baskets of her old clothes sat folded neatly in the corner. Stiles returned to the room and I looked at him.

"This isn't a guest room." I said and he shrugged.

"It took him a while to just clean out their room but he didn't have the heart to donate or trash any of her things. It's kind of like storage but she was working on fixing it up before thing's got really bad." He sat the sheets down and started to unfold them.

"If you don't want me here I can go to Scott's. It's not a big deal." I said seeing how he retreated the moment he knew I was staying but he stopped what he was doing and looked at me like I was crazy.

"Not want you here? Do you have any idea what-" He stopped and raked his hands over his short hair before running them down his face. He sat down on the bed and I stood against the door unsure what was wrong with him.

"I was with my dad when the call came in about your house and all I kept thinking was the last thing you ever said to me was to stay away from you. Despite how crappy things have been with us I couldn't let that be the last thing you ever said to me. I know that you hate me-" I cut him off.

"PLEASE...please stop saying that." He looked up at me.

"Hating you would be so much easier but when have things ever been easy for either of us?" I said sounding exhausted.

"But you said you didn't want to try to be my friend anymore even after I apologized." Stiles said and I sighed.

"Just a few weeks ago you preferred it that way, remember? It's like now that you have a reason to be on the wrong end of things you weren't okay with it. Do you think having you look at me like I was a monster who ruined your life makes me feel good? How about knowing that you are telling people how I'm a two faced know it all who only cares about myself?" Stiles eyes got big when I quoted the latch I had gotten earlier that very same day.

"Having you hate me for something I couldn't control wrecked me. It still wrecks me because I know that I will never be able to fix the past but you aren't the only person who lost someone Stiles. I loved your mom too." I stopped myself and shook tears out of my eyes knowing I wasn't ready to talk about his mom yet.

"Every time I look into your eyes and see disappointment and resentment I get overwhelmed with the reminder that I'm the reason my family is dead. I should have saved them and I didn't...I couldn't. I lost everyone I ever loved and there you were looking at me like I should be ashamed to even think it was okay to come back here. I cried the entire first two weeks I got here, did you know that?" My voice got caught in my throat and he looked at me with a frown.

"Scott and Karen kept telling me that you didn't hate me but all I kept thinking was no one hates me as much as I hate me." I wrapped my arms around myself and Stiles stood up.

"I-I don't...I just..." Stiles couldn't find the right words to say and I could tell it was killing him.

"STILES! MAGGIE! FOOD!" Sheriff Stilinski called from downstairs and Stiles still looked like he wanted to say something but I shook my head and walked past him. I sat down at the table and Stiles came down shortly after sitting across from me. His dad had made grilled cheese and I tried to take a bite of it but I felt my stomach drop and I put my hand to my mouth.

"Are you okay Maggie?" Sheriff Stilinski asked.

"I-I'm really not that hungry." I said trying not to puke.

"Upstairs first door on the right." Stiles said putting his napkin down and I looked at him confused. I knew where the bathroom was but he felt the need to remind me. I got up quickly and ran up the steps just in time to vomit. All of today's events had been too much for me. I spit the acid taste into the toilet and felt my body shaking as I tried to keep my hair out of the way. I jumped when I heard the water go on in the sink. I looked up to see Stiles wetting a wash cloth.

"Please go...I don't need you to-" I started to say.

"When my mom really started getting sick, it was hard to get her to eat so there was never much in her stomach to throw up. She didn't want me to see her like that either but I never once left." Stiles filled a glass with water and moved towards me pulling my hair back.

"I'd hold her hair back and rub her back telling her everything was going to be alright." He said sitting on the side of the bathtub and laying the cold cloth on my neck. I gave in and let him stay. It was quiet for a moment and I finally managed to lean away from the toilet and clean myself up.

"I'm sorry for being in your way." I said and Stiles took the cloth off my neck and wiped my mouth.

"I don't want things to be like this between us anymore Maggie. There are a lot of built up angry feelings because of the past and maybe someday I'll be able to explain those without being a dick but after tonight, thinking I had lost you again...I want to work on being friends again even if it's slowly." Stiles said. I stared at him for a few moment's trying to gauge his sincerity and someone cleared their throat.

"Do you want me to call Melissa?" Sheriff Stilinski asked unsure of whether or not I wanted to leave or not.

"No I'm fine, Stiles is taking good care of me." I looked back at Stiles and he smiled.

"I'll grab you something to sleep in." He got up and walked out leaving Sheriff Stilinski standing there.

"Thank you for everything Sheriff. It really means a lot to me that." I said and he laughed.

"It's not a problem but do you think that you could just call me John when we're here? I'm not always a cop, you know." He said with a smirk as I sat on the tub.

"I suppose I could." Stiles came back in the room and handed me some clothes.

"They might be a bit big but Scott is the worst gift giver ever so it's to be expected." Stiles explained and I held the shirt up that was big enough to fit a family of 10 in.

"Spacious. Thanks." I said and they both walked out long enough for me to wash my face and hands before changing. When I emerged they were both standing outside of the guest room.

"Is there anyway I could just sleep on the couch or something?" I asked biting my lip.

"Why? What's wrong?" John looked in the room but Stiles knew.

"You can sleep in my room." He offered and John looked at him.

"And where are you going to sleep?" He asked and I laughed.

"Never mind, I just thought I'd ask." I walked into the room and sat on the bed knowing I was too anxious to sleep.

"Well I guess I'll see you in the morning. I'll be right down the hall if you need anything just holler. Stiles is across the way there." John said with a smile.

"Thanks I think I'll be alright." I said and he stepped forward giving me a hug.

"I'm glad you're alright sweetheart." He said as I looked over at Stiles who smiled softly. John let me go and gave Stiles a hug too before leaving us standing there.

"I put some clean towels in the bathroom for you to shower in the morning and some pain killers for your knee if it starts to bug you." Stiles said still in his clothes from today.

"I think you've covered everything, thanks." I said and he shook his head.

"You sure you're going to be okay in here?" He asked looking around and I took a deep breath.

"Yeah...I guess so." I said and he extended his hand.

"Okay friend well I guess I'll see you in the morning." He held his hand out like he wanted a hand shake and I smiled putting my hand in his.

"Goodnight friend." I said and he held my hand for a moment before finally letting it go and closing the door as he left. I lay down in the bed and tried to keep my thoughts away from everything that had happened today but after lying in the dark for 2 hours and ending up in tears thinking about how I failed Karen and the baby I knew I would never be able to relax. I sat up and looked around the room knowing I couldn't take my anger out on anything because it was all Claudia Stilinski's things. I saw a handkerchief sitting on the top of a basket and snatched it up to throw figuring it would cause the least amount of damage but I was immediately latched to a memory.

_Stiles looked a little older then before I left and he was crying at his mother's side as she laid in a hospital bed._

_"Please don't cry baby." She cooed at him and he shook his head._

_"I should have used my wish for something else." He cried into her side as she stroked his curls._

_"What wish baby?" She asked him._

_"My wish for my 12th birthday. I wished Maggie would come home again but I should have known it wouldn't come true. I should have wished for something else." He said wiping at his face._

_"I think that's a wonderful wish, why would you want to change it?" She asked helping him wipe his face._

_"I should have wished for you to get better instead but I wasted it." He broke down again and Claudia held him tightly, rocking him as much as she could for being weak._

I pulled out of the memory and fell to the floor trying to breathe through my own tears. There was no way I was going to be able to stay in this room.

**[Stiles POV]**

I woke up around 2 AM to use the bathroom when I noticed the door to the guest room was ajar. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and opened it to see that Maggie wasn't inside. I felt panicked for a moment and considered yelling for my dad but I hurried down the steps to see Maggie sitting on the couch wrapped in a quilt.

"What are you doing down here?" I asked catching her attention only to see she was crying. I ran over and sat down next to her.

"Are you okay? What happened?" I asked freaking out a bit.

"I just can't sleep in there. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out." She wiped her face and I shook my head.

"It's okay. You can take my room if you want." I said gesturing up the stairs and she shook her head at me.

"I don't want to sleep in your room." She said and I cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you sure because I could tell people a girl slept in my bed and it could do wonders for my rep." I joked as a last stitch effort to stop her tears and she actually chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure you have to be in the bed for it to really count." She said and I licked my lips.

"Hey, what are friends for?" She smiled this time.

"I've missed your smile." I blurted. She blushed slightly.

"You can go back to bed if you want. I think I'll be fine down here tonight. You really don't have to worry about me." She said trying to give me some reassurance.

"Well if you're sleeping down here then you might as well be comfortable." I got up and ran upstairs to get sheets to put on the couch. I remembered the pictures I had taken from her house and grabbed them out of my jeans still on my floor before returning. She got up and let me start fixing the couch.

"So I found something in your room earlier today that I hope you won't be mad at me for taking." I said as I got the couch set up.

"It better not be a bra." She teased and I laughed before pulling the pictures of out my pocket.

"I can't believe you kept these." I held the pictures out and she smiled looking at them all.

"How could I get rid of these gems. Do you remember this one? When your dad made Sheriff and we thought it would be cool to paint his squad car as a way of congratulations?" She held the picture up of us standing in front of dad's ruined squad car.

"Oh yeah, he was pretty pissed but mom thought it was hilarious. She made him keep it for at least a week before asking for a paint job." I said making her laugh. I pulled the one of her twisting my arm behind my back out.

"You almost told Scott what my first name was so I started calling you Margret." I laughed and she rolled her eyes.

"Not just Margret, Margie, Marge, Gretty...you were lucky to get out of that with both arms." She said and I laughed.

"Scott still doesn't know my first name." I said and her jaw dropped.

"Are you serious?" She asked and I nodded making her laugh.

"That's awesome." She said smiling. She stopped on the picture of her throwing her arms around my neck after I escaped the tree house alive after being stuck up there for hours.

"God I loved these moments." She said staring at the picture as a smile lingered on her face.

"Me too. I don't think I've ever been as happy as I was back then." I admitted and she bit her lip.

"I've always thought that leaving without saying goodbye was for the best but now I kind of regret it. It would have been hard but maybe things wouldn't be so screwed up with us now." She looked over at me and I held her gaze.

"Why did you leave without saying goodbye? I mean I know it would have been hard but at least I would have known." I asked and she gave a weak smile.

"Because I knew you'd hug me and I was afraid that they'd have to pull me away to get me to leave. I've never felt safer then when you or Scott would hug me and it broke my heart to think that I'd never get that comfort ever again." She wiped a single tear from her face and I sat the pictures on the table before leaving the living room. She seemed confused as I left without saying anything but I returned fairly quickly with more sheets.

"What are you doing?" She asked as I put the sheets on the loveseat opposite the couch.

"I figured I would crash on the loveseat. Wouldn't want you to sleep down here alone." I said fixing the sheets.

"I'm not going to take off again without telling you first, Stiles." I stopped what I was doing and looked at her. I walked around the coffee table and held out my hand.

"Promise?" I held up my pinky and she smiled.

"Promise." She locked her pinky with mine and I looked over at the loveseat.

"We're switching, you take the loveseat and I'll take the couch. I'm taller and don't want to walk around like Quasimoto tomorrow." I said making her chuckle.

"Are you sure? You could always say the person in your bed made you walk funny." She teased as she laid down on the loveseat.

"Oh you've got jokes? Margie's got jokes." I plopped down on the couch and she threw my pillow at me.

"Stop talking and go to sleep." She said as I turned the light off. I laid there for a minute thinking and glanced over at her as she settled in.

"Can I ask you one more thing?" I asked and she opened her eyes to smirk at me knowing I had just asked one thing.

"Okay can I ask you three things, this counting as the second." I said and she laughed.

"What?" She answered.

"The lock on your bedroom door, 01-03-01 worked and Scott said it had important meaning. I've been trying to figure it out since you would have only been like 5." I said hearing her sigh.

"It was the day I met you." She said simply and I looked over at her in the dark to see her with a soft smile on her face so I knew she wasn't just messing with me.

"Goodnight Stiles." She whispered.

"Goodnight Maggie." I said back before watching her roll over. I looked up at the ceiling and smiled to myself. Maybe things would get better after all.


	9. Rumor Has It

**[Maggie's POV]**

I had slept through the rest of the night and woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs. I opened my eyes and stretched my body out on the loveseat only to stop abruptly when I noticed a small person sitting on the coffee table. She couldn't have been any older than 8 or 9 and had curly red hair that hung around her adorable face.

"Um…hello there." I said groggily.

"Hi." She smiled wide as I continued staring at her. Stiles was no longer on the couch so I couldn't really ask him who the small stranger was that was sitting here staring at me.

"Where did you come from?" I asked curiously.

"A stork." She said confirming she had to be no older then I guessed.

"You aren't a little robber or anything right?" I asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Nope." She said kicking her feet back and forth. I nodded at her and sat up.

"Alrighty then." I said still unsure of who she was and where she came from.

"Are you sick?" She asked me out of the blue.

"Why would you think I was sick?" I asked sitting up and putting my feet on the floor.

"Whenever my daddy gets sick he sleeps on the couch." She explained.

"No I'm not sick. I'm kind of tired but-" Before I could finish my statement the little girl smacked her palm on my forehead.

"WAKE UP!" She said before running off and giggling. I looked around the room a bit taken back that I had just gotten forehead smacked by a child but I pulled myself out of the sheets, grabbed my bag and walked up the stairs to see John fixing his uniform.

"I see you slept on the couch anyway. We'll have to figure out something more comfortable I guess." He said with a slight frown.

"I don't want to alarm you but there is a small child roaming around in your house forehead smacking people." I rubbed my forehead and he laughed.

"Talk about a wakeup call huh?" He teased.

"As long as you guys didn't adopt a small ginger child while I was asleep I guess I shouldn't worry." I said and he laughed.

"No that's my deputy's little girl. Stiles can explain everything, I'm actually running late. I left you some clothes in the bathroom so you can shower if you're sure you want to go to school today." John asked and I truly appreciated how much he cared for me.

"As long as you promise to call me if you hear anything about Karen I'll be fine. Thank you." I said with a tired smile. He returned it before flipping the light on in the bathroom.

"I'm going to see if I can steal any of that bacon. He usually sticks to something small for Lizzy but with you here I may actually have a shot at getting something good to eat." He said running down the steps. I walked into the bathroom and started the shower up. I looked at the clothes John had given me and frowned. It was more of his wives things. I had nothing against Claudia at all but it just felt wrong sleeping in a room filled with her things or wearing her clothes. I was lucky enough to have an extra bra and underwear in my bag that I kept for gym class but I wasn't sure what I was going to do as far as clothes were concerned. I got into the hot water and let it soak into my skin in hopes it would remove last night's horrible events. The soap started stinging my knees and I remembered the spill I took. It all seemed so unreal but I couldn't let myself relax until I knew where Karen was. I got out of the shower and started to dry off when I heard a knock on the door.

"It's just me, are you decent?" It was Stiles. I was wearing my bra and underwear so I wrapped a towel around myself before opening the door. He smiled when he saw me but looked a little lost once he realized I was only wearing a towel.

"This is how the dream sequences usually starts." He said making me slap his forehead with my palm.

"WAKE UP!" I said making him stumble back a bit.

"I see you met Lizzy. She has a hell of a way to wake you up in the morning." He said stepping into the bathroom.

"She definitely does. What exactly are you doing?" I asked and he grinned.

"Who said the dream sequences didn't include some hitting?" He joked before opening the medicine cabinet and pulling out fresh bandages and medicine for my knees.

"So you cook, make beds and play doctor? You are certainly full of surprises." I said with a smile sitting on the sink.

"I can do laundry and mow grass too. I'm really a catch aren't I?" He smiled making me laugh as he kneeled down to doctor my knees.

"Do they feel any better?" He asked when I winced.

"Road rash is created by the devil. First it stings and then it aches and once it starts healing it itches. Whoever came up with that idea is a real asshole." I said making Stiles shake his head trying to hide a laugh.

"I see dad left you some clothes. I don't know if he's testing his own restraints or just wants you to feel more welcome." Stiles said eyeing the clothes on the toilet lid.

"I might just go ahead and take a tardy so I can wash my clothes from yesterday." Stiles looked up at me.

"I mean don't get me wrong, I loved your mom but I really just-" Stiles stood up and shook his head.

"It's okay, I totally get it. Let's see if I can find you something of mine to wear." He extended his hand and I took it as he pulled me off the sink. I followed him across the hall and into his room. It was pretty spacious. The walls were lined with posters and his computer sat in the corner. There were a few things scattered around and his bed was unmade but he tossed the comforter across it as I walked in behind him.

"Sorry I didn't really have time to straighten up before-" He stopped talking and went wide eyed.

"Before I became Orphan Annie? It's okay." I joked trying to lighten the mood.

"That's not what I meant." He started making his bed and I laughed thinking of something. He looked back at me confused.

"What's so funny?" He asked finishing up the bed.

"My aunt Evie always used to say it doesn't matter if you can't make your bed as long as you have fun messing it up." Stiles looked surprised but laughed.

"Is that meant to sound dirty?" He asked walking over to his closet.

"Yes it is. She had a very unusual sense of humor." I explained gripping the towel tighter.

"She sounds like she was a lot of fun." Stiles said with his head in the closet but quickly pulled it out.

"I didn't mean-" I threw my hand and stopped him.

"Stiles! Will you please stop worrying about offending me? It's driving me crazy and you are really losing personality points for stunting your humor. It works for you. Go with it." I said and he sighed.

"Well let me know if I start to step into dangerous territory will ya?" He said pulling clothes out of his closet.

"Will these work?" He held out a pair of gray skinny jeans that I knew would be a bit long on me and an old Avengers shirt.

"Who do these belong to?" I asked taking the clothes but he looked almost offended.

"They're mine. Who else's would they be?" He asked.

"Well I just kind of figured they were left behind by a lady friend perhaps. Most people don't share their skinny jeans because when they fit right, you never let them go and the shirt is a bit small." I explained.

"First of all, you are the only girl who's ever been in this room. Second, if I did have a lady friend over why the hell would she leave here without her clothes?" He asked and I bit my lip waiting for him to catch up. I watched his eyes go wide again and jaw drop.

"Oh! No no those are mine! I swear." He said and I laughed.

"How about you go downstairs and I'll meet you down there." I said and he shook his head practically running out of the room. He actually tripped over a shoe and did a barrel roll of sorts before getting up quickly and tugging his shirt down.

I pulled the clothes on and used the makeup in my bag to hide the dark circles under my eyes. The jeans were a bit long but I tucked them into my boots before lacing them up. The shirt was almost kid sized and rode up above my bellybutton so I grabbed one of Stiles hoodies from the closet. I picked my bag up and ran down stairs to see Stiles putting a plate together for me while the little girl hid behind a book.

"You stole one of my hoodies." Stiles pointed out and I took it off showing him how much of my midriff was showing. He moved his mouth a few times trying to form words and I laughed.

"That's why I stole a hoodie." I sat down at the table and the girl put the book down.

"Alright munchkin, what's your story?" I asked playfully.

"I'm Lizzy." She said with smile.

"I'm Maggie." I smiled back as Stiles sat down next to her eating an apple.

"Lizzy's dad is the deputy and her mom works dispatch so when their shifts get scrambled she gets dropped off here. I just make sure she gets to school." I looked over at him a bit surprised.

" Really? Like you take care of her? That's really sweet." He blushed at my words like he didn't really consider taking care of someone else's kid a big deal.

"Mmhm but I take care of him too. Make sure he doesn't have crumbs on his shirt, make sure he brushes his teeth and combs his hair." Lizzy said making Stiles roll his eyes.

"Yeah you're a real help but I'm pretty sure I cover those bases on my own." Stiles said confidently but Lizzy pursed her lips at him.

"What about figuring out a way to get girls to notice you instead of chasing the dragon queen." I choked on my juice when she mentioned Lydia but Stiles was clearly unhappy about it.

"Ah-ha I like you already." I high fived her and she smiled.

"Oh you guys are just so funny and what did I tell you about talking bad about people?" Stiles pointed at Lizzy and she shrugged.

"To always tell the truth?" I had to laugh at her getting under Stiles skin.

"She does make a valid point there." I said earning a mocking face from Stiles which I returned.

"You're a bad influence." Stiles said narrowing his eyes.

"I say nice things too like how Stiles thinks you look cute when you sleep or how you have sexy silky legs. I don't know if that last part is good or not but he seemed to be happy about saying it." Stiles was the one spitting his juice now as my jaw dropped at Lizzy's words.

"OKAY! Time to get you on the bus. Let's go midget." Stiles threw her books in her backpack and picked her up off the chair.

"Bye Maggie!" She called and I waved at her trying not to die laughing. I got up from the table and watched Stiles hold Lizzy's hand as they walked to the curb to wait for the bus. He was talking very animated and she shrugged a few times but laughed at him. The bus pulled up a few minutes later and she waved goodbye to him as well before he turned back to the house. I started clearing the table and washing the dishes off as the door opened and shut. I bit my lip to keep from laughing and I heard his feet shuffle across the floor before he sighed heavy.

"Kids right? What an overactive imagination." I turned around to look at Stiles and he laughed it off as I grinned.

"I let you bandage my busted up knees and you get your cheap feels in huh?" I crossed my arms over my chest and his face fell instantly.

"What? No it was just an observation- I mean no! Dammit." He let his eyes fall to the floor and I laughed.

"I actually hate my legs. I think it's because I'm so short. I kind of have a complex about them." I admitted and he looked up.

"I like them. They're cute short." He mumbled and I smiled.

"Well they aren't very good for running so maybe we should get going?" I said picking up my bag.

"Yeah we should probably head out." Stiles blushed grabbing his own bag before following me out the front door and locking it behind himself. We got into his jeep and he kept glancing over at me.

"Sorry the shirt isn't bigger. I thought it would fit better." Stiles said and I zipped the hoodie a bit more.

"Well you don't have to worry about boobs so I can see how you thought it would be longer. It's no big deal." I smiled trying to reassure him.

"You know, it really is a sweet thing you do for Lizzy. I can tell she is really comfortable with you so you must have been doing this for awhile." I said.

"It's really no big deal but I've been doing it for about 2 years now. She's quite the spitfire." He chuckles to himself.

"It must be a ginger thing." I joked. We pulled up to the school and he let out a big sigh.

"Look I don't want things to be weird between us now. We're working on being friends and I don't want…why are you smirking?" He stopped talking after he saw my face.

"I love that you think it's somehow going to make things weird that you find me the slightest bit attractive. Stiles, I've seen you naked before." I said getting out of the jeep and he turned red trying to get out as quickly as me.

"Hey! I was only 6 then and I was in underwear." Stiles defended.

"Look I don't expect anything of it if that's what you're worried about. But I'll admit it's nice to know you don't think I look like a dog." I smiled and he eyed me for a second before rolling his eyes.

"Shut up, you know you're cute." He shoved me slightly and I raised an eyebrow.

"Just cute? Maybe I should leave the hoodie in the jeep." I teased and he gripped the zipper and zipped it up.

"Or you can keep it on to avoid creating a mob." He was dangerously close to me and I had to look up to see a smile on his face.

"If you insist." I said knowing my heart was beating way too hard.

"Hey, why don't we have lunch together today? I feel like I never see you at lunch." Stiles said pinning his eyebrows together.

"I don't usually go. I'm either studying or running home to help Karen." I said with a heavy heart. Stiles put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"It'll be okay." He said as the first bell rang.

"I better get to class. Thanks for the ride." I said and he just nodded.

As we walked through the halls I heard people whispering and felt their eyes on me as I walked. I knew Karen's disappearance would cause a bunch of crap but I didn't think they would be so blatant about it. Stiles would bump my arm every now and again letting me know I wasn't alone but I hated knowing that people would be telling stories about something that wasn't as stupid as a break up or a hook up. He walked me to my first class and I told him that I would manage until lunch but it would appear people didn't have enough common sense not to let me catch them staring at me when they were whispering. I was walking to my locker when some girls bumped right into me and didn't even stop whispering.

"Come on, you can gossip and walk at the same time." I shouted as I reached my locker.

"Don't give the airheads so much credit. Sometimes walking and talking can be difficult." Danny said making me let out a frustrated sigh.

"I can't believe this school. My aunt goes missing and they act like I'm screwing the school mascot." I said finally getting my locker open.

"I've heard a few different stories but nothing about the mascot. I didn't even know we had one." Danny said catching my attention.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" I looked at him confused.

"The rumors that are going around about you." Danny clarified and I stepped towards him.

"About me or my aunt?" I asked.

"Your aunt? Why would they be about your aunt? Is she sleeping with Stiles too?" Danny teased and I threw my arms out.

"She was kidnapped last night-WHOA! Who's sleeping with Stiles?" I asked making Danny laugh.

"You apparently." He said simply. I stood there completely lost for a minute before actually speaking again.

"How the…what the…who the hell spread that ridiculous rumor?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest. Danny looked me up and down.

"Um you did. The way I heard it is you two were practically dry humping in the parking lot and apparently these are his awful threads you're wearing today and if I might add, you have your own perfect style. Don't ruin it." He picked at the hoodie and I shook my head.

"First of all we were talking this morning, not dry humping and second, I'm only wearing his clothes because my house is currently a crime scene that I can't access so my clothes are stuck inside." I explained and Danny looked concerned.

"Screw the rumors, what happened to your aunt? Who would kidnap a pregnant woman?" Danny asked and I ran my hand through my hair as I shut my locker.

"I don't really know much but they found a random guy dead in the basement and she was nowhere to be found. It was a disaster." I explained as we walked towards the lunch room.

"That's crazy. Where are you staying?" Danny asked.

"With Stiles and his dad. He is the Sheriff so I guess there's no safer place." I huffed.

"I wouldn't let the others find out about it. Who knows where these rumors are heading." Danny said rolling his eyes.

"People are so stupid. Just because I'm wearing his clothes doesn't mean I slept with him. I mean we did sleep together but not like together-together." I said making Danny cock his eyebrow.

"I'm not sure I want to hear this story." Danny said with a laugh.

"He slept on one couch and I slept on the other. There was no touching and we were both clothed. That's it." I explained and Danny put his arm around me.

"Well if things get any worse you can crash at my house. My family loves company." Danny gave me a side hug as we walked into the cafeteria and I smiled.

"Thanks Danny." We both looked around the room and noticed people staring and whispering. I saw Stiles standing in line getting his food and looking confused by all the high fives he was getting and back pats.

"At least it helps Stiles reputation out." Danny said making me glare at him. Stiles came out of the line and waved at me. I walked across the cafeteria towards him and he smiled.

"Today has been incredibly strange but I find if I keep smiling and agreeing with people they leave me alone." He said sitting down next to me at an empty table.

"Probably because of the new rumors that are floating around." I said seeing that he was completely oblivious.

"I figured there would be some talk but it's not like I did anything spectacular." He handed me his pudding cup and I swatted it back to him.

"Don't give me your pudding cup! Are you crazy?" I said whispering harshly.

"What's wrong with it? Do you not like pudding?" He asked confused.

"No I hate it!" I said looking around at people staring.

"Hate's a bit strong for pudding, I mean certain types of jello I understand but everyone loves pudding." Stiles rambled.

"Stiles! Can you please just…stop?" I said leaning my face on my hand. He stared at me and took the pudding back.

"Did I do something? I mean I haven't seen you since this morning so if you truly are offended by my pudding offer then I'm sorry." He apologized and I sighed.

"It's not the stupid pudding." I laughed as I ran my hand through my hair and he opened his water.

"Well then what's bugging you? You knew people were going to find out about Karen but it's no reason to let stupid rumors get the best of you. They have no clue what's going on." He said taking a sip of his water.

"They think we had sex." Stiles started choking loudly drawing the attention of the entire cafeteria as if it wasn't already on us anyway as he tried to catch his breath.

"I-I-I'm sorry? What was that?" He asked wiping his face. Before I could explain anything Scott practically crashed into the table with wide eyes.

"Dude when did you guys do it?!" Scott asked a bit too loud and I buried my face in my hands.

"Yeah, hi, can someone please catch Stiles up?" Stiles asked.

"Everyone is saying you guys are hooking up." Scott said simply.

"Why would they say that?" Stiles still seemed confused.

"Why is she wearing your hoodie?" Scott asked and I kept my head buried.

"What? Is that some sort of sexual code? She's got no clothes remember? Crime scene? It would look worse if she showed up naked." Stiles said and I looked up at him borderline offended.

"Hey!" I said making him look over realizing what he said.

"You know I didn't mean it like that. I have no doubts that you look great naked." He deadpanned.

"No doubts huh?" Scott smiled a goofy smile and I let out a sound of disgust.

"Shut up." Stiles and I both said.

"That's cute. Say something else at the same time." Scott continued to tease and I made a move to punch him but Stiles stopped me.

"Nothing happened okay? Everyone just has it wrong." Stiles said trying to calm me down.

"It's not about everyone thinking we slept together, Stiles. It's about my aunt being missing and all people can talk about is whether or not I went down on you." I said in frustration and the mere mention of it made Stiles blush. I looked over at Scott who looked a bit mortified to even be sitting at the table now and I pushed myself up ready to storm off but I ran into some broad chested guy.

"Hey there sweet thang, I've been meaning to ask you out for a while but now that I know you'll sleep with guys like Stilinski why bother with the date?" The smug guy said and I heard Scott and Stiles get up from the table.

"Shut your mouth, Greenburg." Scott said.

"Oh come on McCall, your little butt buddy can share, can't he?" Greenburg asked looking over at Stiles.

"I can happily share my fist in your mouth if you don't back off." Stiles said and I could feel his presence behind me.

"Greenburg is it?" I interrupted them and caught his attention making him nod.

"How about a little preview of just how good I am with my hands?" I teased making his face light up right before I balled my fist and punched him in the groin making him scream like a little girl. He crumbled to the floor and everyone laughed as I ran out of the cafeteria. I felt someone grip my shoulders and I swung around trying to hit the person grabbing me but they ducked and I hit the lockers.

"OW! DAMN! OW!" I shook my hand out and Stiles stood up.

"Jesus! What the hell? Are you okay?" He asked trying to grab my hand.

"Let's recap shall we? I've got no family, my aunt is now missing, the entire school thinks my sex life is more important than that and now my hand is swollen. I'm spectacular, Stiles." I said through gritted teeth. He frowned at me.

"You know that we'll find Karen and I'm sorry everyone here is too stupid to actually see past an old pair of jeans and a hoodie but you've got to calm down." Stiles said looking down at me.

"Easy for you to say, you got cool points and I landed myself on the slut calendar." I said making him smile.

"I can see you as a July or September." Stiles teased making me feel a bit better. I don't know why but I reached out and hugged him. He instantly tensed up and pushed me away.

"I-I'm sorry?" I said unsure of what exactly I did wrong but Stiles didn't drop his hands from my arms.

"No it's just…we're rebuilding right now. Hug's are kind of overwhelming right now. Does that make sense?" He asked biting his lip but I understood. Despite the stupid rumor circulating, Stiles and I were staring fresh and to go from bickering back and forth to seeking comfort in each other's arms is a bit fast for even me.

"Yeah I just got a bit carried away." I said firmly and he dropped his hands from my arms.

"That's what I hear." Stiles joked and I hit him with my messed up hand wincing immediately.

"Will you stop that!? Come with me." He said waving his hand.

"Where to?" I asked.

"First to get you some ice from Coach then outside to watch Scott and I practice. I don't need you off punching anyone else." Stiles said with a laugh and I followed him.

"Hey Coach, can I get an icepack?" He knocked on his door and Coach Finstock looked up annoyed.

"How did you manage to get hurt and you ride the bench Bilinski?!" He asked him before looking at me.

"Carter, what are you doing here?" He asked me.

"I hurt my hand." I held my hand up and his eyes went wide.

"Wait…are you the one who sent Greenburg to the nurse?" He asked stepping around his desk. I looked over at Stiles who shrugged at me.

"Yes but he deserved it." I said and Coach Finstock laughed.

"Don't I know it? You've just moved up my list of not so useless teens, Carter." He tossed the icepack at me and I caught it.

"Thank you?" I said unsure if that was a compliment or not as I backed out of the office.

"He hates Greenburg." Stiles said.

"Yeah I picked up on that." I said as I walked towards the doors and was practically tackled by Allison.

"I heard what happened! Are you okay? I've been so worried." Allison said looking at me.

"Yeah it's not too serious but I'm sure I'll get detention for punching Greenburg." I said and Allison looked confused.

"I'm talking about with your aunt. Scott told me everything." Allison said and Stiles smiled softly from behind her.

"I'm going to go change so you two can catch up." Stiles said backing into the locker room. Allison practically dragged me out to the bleachers as I caught her up on what happened with Karen and how I was staying with Stiles.

"I'm so glad you two are talking but I'm sorry those stupid rumors got started. I swear, kids can be so dense. I mean there are bigger things to focus on here people." Allison said making me sigh with relief. I felt understood at last.

"You are seriously the best part of my day right now. Thank you for saving me from this madness." I hugged her and she hugged me back.

"No problem at all. I'll probably need you to return the favor since tomorrow is like my least favorite day ever." Allison said and I looked at her.

"What's tomorrow?" I asked.

"It's my birthday but you have to promise not to tell anyone, not even Scott!" She pointed at me and I put my hand up.

"Why do you hate your birthday?" I asked with a laugh just as the boys started walking out to the field.

"It's a long story but I'd rather just let it go by without anyone fussing over it." Allison had a pleading face on and I patted her knee.

"I can keep a secret but I may or may not be dropping some cupcakes off at your house out of the blue tomorrow just because you're awesome." I teased and she laughed.

"Make them red velvet and I might just start a rumor that I made out with you too." Allison joked. It was nice to have someone like Allison to talk to when I lived in such a male dominated world.

**[Stiles's POV]**

I couldn't fight the smirk on my face as the guys in the locker room kept patting me on the back. It was crazy to think that everyone was this accepting of me when they thought I'd had sex with someone but I guess that's life. I looked over and saw Danny frowning at me. I tried to shake it off as Scott sat down next to me.

"I thought you were totally against everyone thinking you and Maggie hooked up. Now you're just sort of okay with it?" Scott asked me.

"No of course not but I'm not going to convince people that we didn't do anything. They can think whatever they want." I brushed it off and Scott laughed.

"Yeah because Maggie will be super cool with that." He stood up and I stood up with him.

"Until she says otherwise, I'm not going to put myself on the chopping block of sacrifice and have people thinking I'm some chump again." I said firmly walking out onto the field to see Maggie talking to someone from the team.

"Who the hell is that?" I asked trying to figure out whose number that was.

"I'm not sure." Scott said squinting at the number.

"He certainly knows how to make Maggie laugh though. Looks like you're going to get chumped either way." Scott said with a laugh as he walked towards Maggie and Allison. I caught up with him and the guy finally turned around to reveal who he was. Isaac had been on the team but rode the bench like I did. We never really talked though.

"I see you made a new friend." I said quickly making them all look at me.

"Yeah, Isaac and I ran into each other the other day. We helped each other out." She smiled at him and he looked at me.

"More like she helped me out. I screwed up my back at work and she fixed it up like magic." He lifted the back of his shirt slightly showing off his stupid muscles.

"Lucky you." Allison said bumping shoulders with Maggie.

"Yeah, lucky me." Isaac was staring at Maggie and we all sort of jumped when coach blew the whistle.

"On the field." He yelled and we all ran out onto the field to run drills. Isaac pulled on my arm though and I looked over at him.

"Hey man I wanted to ask you a question." He said making me eye his hand on my arm which he removed quickly.

"What about?" I asked as Scott walked next to me.

"I was wondering if you and Maggie were…dating." Isaac asked and I almost felt offended that he asked.

"What? Maggie and I? No! I mean no. We're just friends but we've got history together." I started babbling and Scott hit my arm to shut me up.

"She's not seeing anyone man." Scott confirmed and I glared at him.

"Awesome. I was thinking of asking her out and I heard some stupid rumors-" I cut him off.

"What Scott meant was she's not really dating right now. She's got family stuff going on so it's probably best to put those hormones back in the box." I patted his shoulder and his mouth slacked like he might say something but I pulled Scott along the way and walked away from him.

"Um what was that about?" Scott asked me and I shook my head.

"Her aunt may or may not be dead right now. The last thing she needs is some guy trying to take advantage of that." I said disgusted with Isaac's advances.

"You mean like you are with the rumors?" Scott asked and I cut my eyes at him. Before I could say anything Coach split us into pairs and had us doing passing drills. I kept glancing over at Maggie and Allison talking though and couldn't help but be curious.

"What are they saying?" I finally asked looking at Scott.

"Dude I'm not eavesdropping for you." Scott said cradling his stick.

"If I could, I would for you. I just want to know what they're talking about and I won't ask again." I asked again and Scott sighed rolling his eyes. I watched him focus on them and he laughed.

"What? What are they talking about?" I asked hitting his chest.

"You really don't want to know." Scott said and I huffed.

"Don't be a douche! What did they say?" I pulled on his shirt.

"Maggie is hoping that Isaac will make a move on her." Scott said with a laugh before tossing the ball at me.

"What's the matter Stilinski? Your piece of ass wising up or something?" Jackson laughed and I glared at him.

"Shut up Jackson." Scott said only making him laugh more.

"Don't call her that." I added making him focus in on me.

"You make a point. If she hooked up with you then she must have gotten paid which would make her a whore." Jackson's words made my blood boil and I shoved him with my lacrosse stick. He laughed and shoved me back but the team was quick to try and pull us apart. Jackson tried to hit me with the handle of his stick and ended up hitting Isaac in the mouth.

"CUT THE SHIT! Ah come on, Jackson!" Coach said seeing Isaac holding his mouth.

"It's not my fault Stilinski lost his mind." Jackson said and I noticed Maggie was now on the field looking at Isaac's busted lip.

"I'm fine coach, really." Isaac said and looked at me like I was the one who hit him.

"Bilinski! What's your damage?!" Coach asked me and the rest of the team that was once congratulating me on a stupid rumor was now looking between Isaac and me like there was some sort of battle.

"Lost my head for a minute, Coach. It won't happen again." I breathed.

"I bet Isaac gets some of that later too." One of Jackson's cronies said making Jackson snicker and I managed to shove him down. Scott pulled me away from the crowd and I heard Maggie yelling as well over Coach blowing the whistle.

"That's it! You're done for the day! Off the field until you realize you can't hit your team mates. That's what the opposing team is for." Coach dismissed me and I pulled away from Scott to storm off towards the locker room. I knew people were looking at me but I didn't care. I got to the locker room and threw my pads off cursing to no one particular. I yanked my practice jersey off and pulled my regular shirt out of my locker. There was no point in showering considering I was barely on the field for 10 minutes. I wasn't alone for long though because Maggie came barreling in making me pulling shirt up to my chest. She put her hand over her eyes and ran into the locker.

"Hey- Sorry. I wanted to check on you. What the hell was all of that out there?" She asked sounding out of breath.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it." I pulled my shirt over my head and put my over shirt on over top of it before grabbing my jeans out and quickly doing a switcharoo since she had her hand over her face.

"You're obviously not being honest with me so why don't you try that again." She said making me sigh.

"I really don't want to talk about it." I said trying not to take my frustrations out on her. She had been through enough.

"Okay. I guess I'll just leave you alone." She pouted and turned around making me feel guilty.

"It's just…Jackson was running his mouth about you and I got pissed." I explained and she continued to hold her hand to her eyes.

"Weren't you the one who told me not to worry about what everyone was saying?" She asked and I rolled my eyes.

"Us hooking up is one thing but someone calling you a whore because another team mate is trying to hook up with you is ass kick worthy in my opinion." I said making her tilt her head sideways.

"Wait, I'm so lost." She said clearly confused.

"Take your hands down, dork." I said and she moved her hand to see I was putting my shoes on.

"How is it that I'm the one with the crappy new reputation and you're more upset about it?" She asked walking towards me.

"Because you can't just call someone you don't even know a whore. I mean I don't even know if you're a…" I stopped myself from saying it and she leaned against the lockers.

"A virgin?" She finished for me and I blushed.

"Does it bother you that you don't know the answer to that question?" She asked boldly.

"What? No! I mean that's your personal business and I'm not sure if I want to know anyway. I just know that by wearing my clothes it means somehow that we're having sex and for you to make googley eyes at Isaac it makes me look like a chump." I said quickly without thinking.

"But we both know why I'm wearing your clothes so why…wait a minute, have you been denying the rumors or are you still letting people give you high fives?" She narrowed her eyes at me and I bit my lip. She knew the answer and shook her head.

"I'll wear my own clothes tomorrow, don't worry about it." She went to storm out of the locker room and I attempted to stop her and was stopped by Coach.

"Bilinski, you need to go to the office. You're looking at detention tomorrow for hitting another student." He said and I looked at him confused.

"I didn't hit Isaac! Jackson did." I explained and he shrugged.

"But you play the bench, he's a starter. Think of it as learning team work. Take one for the team." He clapped me on the back and I stood there baffled. I marched with protest to the office to hand in a detention slip for tomorrow and of course it became a full on process since I wanted to make things right with Maggie. She had to be back at my house by now. During the waiting period I thought of an idea to make it up to her and texted Scott. He would see the message after practice and hopefully be up for a challenge this evening.

Once I got finished up in the office, I halled ass home and practically barreled through the front door to be smacked in the face with the amazing smell of spaghetti cooking. I rounded the corner and threw my bag down to see Maggie standing at the stove.

"Your dad is on his way home. He's got to work the night shift so I figured I would make dinner." She said sounding more exhausted then angry.

"So are you back to giving me the silent treatment again because I wouldn't blame you if you did." I said walking towards her. She turned around and let out a sigh.

"I am a virgin and I'm sorry if me taking an interest in Isaac somehow makes you look bad but-" I cut her off.

"Don't be sorry for that. I was an idiot and I'm sorry that I even added to that crap when you have so many other things going on right now." I said honestly.

"Then why don't you like Isaac?" She asked suddenly and I just stared down at her.

"All I've ever had was you and Scott, growing up I always felt like you and Scott were more like siblings and we were just super close. I guess it's just the protective side of me coming out and not wanting to let anything else hurt you. I mean look at me, we aren't even dating and I manage to upset you at least once a day. That can't be good for your short people self esteem." I teased and she smiled.

"My life is all sorts of complicated right now so you are hardly the cause of my mental anguish but I appreciate the apology." She said picking the wooden spoon up from the counter top.

"So we're good right?" I asked just to make sure and she glanced at me.

"Almost." She said before whacking me in the neck with the wooden spoon in her hand.

"OW! What the-" She held the spoon up at me.

"That should cover everything for the rest of tonight that you might possibly do to piss me off." She said as I rubbed my neck.

"For a small person, you are certainly aggressive." I teased helping her with the spaghetti. Dad came in not long after we set the table and was shocked. We hadn't actually had a sit down dinner together yet so I could tell he was happy to get a moment to talk.

"You really didn't have to go to so much trouble." Dad said as he put some sauce on his plate.

"It was no trouble at all and I figured since you both have let me stay with you I should make myself useful." Maggie said as I started eating my spaghetti which tasted kind of like my mom's.

"It tastes like…" I started and looked at my dad.

"Yeah it does." He smiled and Maggie looked terrified.

"Oh no! Is it bad?" She worried and I wiped my mouth.

"It tastes like my mom's…its really good Mags." I said and she stared at me for a moment. Even I hadn't realized I had called her by her nickname.

"The sauce is zesty but sweet at the same time. I always loved that." Dad spoke up and I nodded agreeing.

"My aunt Evie taught me how to cook when I was younger. She always said food is what makes everyone's day better." Maggie looked down at her food and I could tell it was a bit bittersweet to talk about her family.

"Well she was right, except when Stiles tries to feed me carrots and celery while he's scarffing down fries." Dad spoke up and she laughed.

"If it wasn't for me, you would be 400 pounds. You'll thank me one day." I said holding up my glass at him before drinking it.

"I've got plenty of things I can make that are good and good for you so maybe if Stiles does the breakfast, I can do the dinner." Maggie offered and I looked at dad.

"I'll just be the Sheriff. That's tasking enough right?" He said making us both laugh. We spent almost an hour talking about all the cool things Evie and Caroline taught Maggie all the years she was away. You would think she was gone for a whole lifetime with all the things she could do now.

"When you say she taught you self defense do you mean like karate or what?" Dad asked intrigued by Maggie's confession that she could take down a 300 pound man.

"She taught me everything. Hand to hand, karate and boxing. When I turned 13 we pretty much knew I was going to be forever this short so I had to learn to protect myself. I might be a little rusty now but my friend Allison and I are going to start working out together so that should help." She said making me laugh.

"You and Allison are going to start working out? That would be funny to watch." I snorted as I started clearing the plates but before I knew it she had gripped my hand and twisted it behind my back, forcing me onto the table. Dad started laughing as Maggie pinned me down and I glared at him.

"I think you've still got it." He said giving her a high five.

"Don't you have to be at work?!" I said forcefully as she let me up and shook my hand out.

"You kids behave and call if you need anything." Dad said pointing at me.

"Be careful." I hugged him and he hugged me back.

"Love you kiddo." He said.

"Love you too." I pulled out of the hug and he smiled at Maggie.

"Try not to break him before I get back." Dad said and she saluted him. I heard his squad car pull out of the driveway as Maggie walked up the steps.

"You know I'm going to get you back for that right? You can't just bamboozle a guy while he's clearing the table." I said as she walked into the laundry room.

"I barely touched you but if you feel like you need to redeem yourself then be my guest." She said holding the laundry basket. I hadn't actually thought of a way to get her back just yet but I grabbed the laundry basket knowing it was my clean clothes.

"I'm going to do it when you least expect it." I said and she laughed behind me as I walked into my room.

"So what you mean to say is you don't know how to get me back?" She laughed and I dropped the basket on the floor next to my bed.

"No! I just want it to be a surprise." I lied and she rolled her eyes turning away from me. I tried to run up and sneak attack her by bear hugging her from behind but she kicked her feet out hard like a ninja and sent us both falling backwards onto my bed. Her weight knocked the air out of my lungs and she flipped around to hold my arms down.

"What was that?! That was so lame! You wait until my back is turned? Kinda cheap, Stilinski." She said breathing heavy. Her hair had fallen to one side of her head and the too small shirt I had given her was hiked up a bit higher than it should be. It was then I started to panic at her pretty much straddling my hips as thoughts of how turned on I was by the entire situation but before I could say anything Scott jumped in through my window.

"By far my favorite wolf ability is climbing through…uh." He stopped talking once he saw Maggie pinning me to my bed.

"Did I miss something?" Scott asked cocking his eyebrow completely dumfounded as we both turned red in the face.

**[Scott's POV]**

I wasn't sure what I had walked in on but the moment I took it all in, Maggie jumped off of Stiles like he had caught fire underneath her. They both became beet red and started to fidget with their clothes making themselves look even more like they were hiding something. They looked from one another trying to figure out who exactly was going to explain what was going on but neither could really form a full sentence. The room smelled of lust and I just held my grin.

"We were just-" Stiles started.

"Messing around." Maggie finished making me raise my eyebrows.

"Not like that though. It wasn't like-" Stiles tried to cover.

"Sexual or anything. It was more like-" Maggie started to explain again and I nodded.

"Wrestling." Stiles said making Maggie and I both look at him. I had to laugh at how ridiculous they were both being. While I was confused as to what they were really doing, I did notice that they were fully clothed and not swapping spit yet they acted like the mere contact was a scandal.

"Right." I said sarcastically making Stiles huff.

"Scott and I have to run out for a few, are you going to be okay here by yourself?" Stiles asked Maggie and she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Yeah I've got to finish the project and shower. Can I bum some pajamas before you go?" She asked and Stiles grabbed something from his closet.

"I guess I'll see you guys later." Maggie smiled weakly before tucking her hair behind her ear and leaving Stiles room. Stiles fixed his bed and grabbed a hat before looking over at me and seeing the smirk on my face.

"I don't even want to hear it. Let's just get going so my dad doesn't find out I left her here alone." Stiles said walking out of his room.

"He might want to rethink leaving you here with her alone anyway." I teased making him turn around to glare as I followed him out of the front door. We got into his jeep and headed out as the sun finally went down.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked as Stiles drove.

"To Maggie's house." Stiles said simply.

"Why are we going there? I thought it was closed off right now?" I asked confused and Stiles glanced over at me.

"I have a feeling if we don't get Maggie back in her own clothes, her reputation won't be the only thing ruined." Stiles explained vaguely which confused me even more. Allison had already told Maggie she would let her borrow some clothes until she was allowed back into her house so I didn't see the point in taking the risk on getting in trouble.

We parked the jeep around the corner and saw the cop in the squad car was eating his dinner parked a little ways down the street. I was pretty sure that if we got caught we would no doubt be in huge trouble.

"So tell me why we're sneaking into Maggie's house to get her clothes instead of just letting her borrow some of Allison's?" I asked as we walked out of the backyard and around towards the front of the house.

"Because she likes her own clothes. It would make her happy if she could at least have that much in all of this crap." Stiles said making me stop following him.

"I thought you were enjoying the rumors about you two?" I asked knowing that just hours ago he had no intention of clearing up the rumors that were going around.

"Look I know it was a shitty thing to take advantage of but we worked it out." Stiles explained throwing his arms out as he spun around to look at me.

"Yeah I saw you two working it out earlier." I teased with a proud smirk only to get another eye roll.

"That wasn't what it looked like. She was showing me some of her self defense moves. That's it. Can we focus here please?" Stiles turned around to walk up onto the porch and I snorted.

"So instead of rolling around in your bed with her, you got your ass kicked by her." I knew Stiles was embarrassed by getting caught in the situation he was caught in but I thought it was all pretty entertaining. He stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around glaring this time.

"Our friend is getting called a slut for wearing my clothes to school. You think you could get serious for a hot minute and join me here so we can help her out?" Stiles tone was serious and I laughed a few moments longer before pulling myself together.

"Sorry. Let's go." I said following him up the steps. I watched Stiles try the door but the handle barely moved.

"It's locked." I said making Stiles huff.

"Well it's a crime scene, Scott. I kind of figured it would be." He said knowingly but if he was so smart and knew it'd be locked why did we bother coming out here in the first place?

"Why didn't we just bring Maggie?" I asked looking around afraid of getting caught.

"Because that would ruin the surprise but don't worry I've got an idea." Stiles said taking his plaid shirt off.

"Great! Those always work out for us." I rolled my eyes and caught sight of a bruise near his collarbone that looked strangely like a hickey.

"Dude is that a hickey?" I asked in surprise.

"What? No it's a cooking injury." Stiles brushed me off and I narrowed my eyes at him in disbelief.

"Maggie hit me with a wooden spoon! I've got delicate skin okay?" Stiles explained further and I just laughed.

"All I heard was you getting spooned by Maggie." I mocked making him sigh as he wrapped his shirt around his hand.

"Can you get your mind out of the gutter and on the task at hand please? I mean just for a second." Stiles was getting irritated and I put my hands up in surrender as he assessed the glass. His plan was to not only to go into a crime scene but to break into it.

"So we're going from SURPRISE! We got your clothes to SURPRISE! We broke into your house and got arrested?" I asked making Stiles shrug.

"Go big or go home right?" He said making me regret even leaving my own house.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked one last time knowing it wasn't going to end well.

"It's just glass. How hard could it be?" Stiles said before taking a deep breath and rearing his arm back to thrust into the window at full force. As if it were bulletproof, his fist bounced right off of the window and he tried to bite back howls of pain. For a moment, I remembered what Derek said about Karen protecting the house and I felt bad for not warning Stiles.

"AWWOH…SON of a motherfreaking b-mmm." Stiles was holding his hand trying to work through the pain and I had to crack a joke before just busting out in fits of laughter.

"Maybe you should have brought the wooden spoon." I teased and Stiles straightened his back out chuckling.

"Ah-ha that's funny. Wolf's got jokes tonight." Stiles said as he went to unwrap his shirt from his hand.

"I try." I said trying not to laugh too hard at Stiles knowing that his hand was probably throbbing.

"That's alright because you know what's even more hilarious?" Stiles said seeming to bounce back quickly.

"What's that?" I asked humoring him.

"You and Allison have been dating a while now so it's safe to say she's your girlfriend right?" Stiles asked and I felt a few butterflies just thinking about Allison being my girlfriend.

"Yeah I guess so but how's that hilarious?" I asked confused at where this conversation was going.

"Because even in the rumor mill, I'm still getting more action then you and I don't even have a girlfriend." Stiles pulled his jacket back on and I glared at him.

"Not cool bro." I whispered offended by his statement despite it being true.

"Laugh it up now, jerk." Stiles said as he looked around the side of the house for another way in. I looked down at the welcome mat and knew that's where I hide our spare key.

"Think you could give me a boost up here?" Stiles asked and I lifted the mat to see a key.

"Or we could just use this. Less breaking in and more walking in." I explained handing the key to him.

"That's a good find." Stiles put the key in the lock and opened the door slowly to see the house was still a mess. I shut the door quickly behind myself and felt the creepy feeling I'm sure Stiles felt.

"That blood is Karen's." I said smelling it strongly now that I was inside.

"Dad found out last night but didn't have the heart to tell Maggie. He's hoping to find her before she actually asks about the case. That's why I've been trying to keep her distracted with other things." Stiles explained but before I could say anything he pointed at me.

"And don't make a crack about distracting her in a dirty way." Stiles warned and I shrugged as I followed him up the stairs trying not to mess anything up.

"On a serious note, it's not really a good idea to get that close with Maggie." I said knowing that Maggie has been in love with Stiles since the beginning of time.

"I thought you wanted us to be friends again?" Stiles looked over his shoulder at me.

"Yeah friends like we all used to be but not with so much…touching. It could confuse her." I said without really thinking and Stiles stopped at the top of the steps.

"Something you want to tell me?" He asked narrowing his eyes at me.

"She's just in a really fragile place right now, man. I don't want to see her get hurt anymore than she already has." I said honestly and Stiles nodded his head seeming to understand. I followed him into Maggie's room and looked around. I almost panicked for a minute thinking she might have caldrons or magic books just sitting around idly but then I remembered Stiles would have said something the first time he had come in here. He tossed a big duffle at me and I looked at him.

"You grab the clothes and I'll grab the girly stuff." Stiles waved his hand around and I glanced at the closet. I didn't really know what exactly it was that Maggie liked to wear so I tried to just fit as much as I could into the bag. I caught sight of a lockbox in the closet and it sat on top of an old book. I glanced back at Stiles who was shutting the jewelry box and putting it in to a bag with shoes. I took the opportunity to throw the things in the bag and bury it under the clothes.

"So did you and Derek figure out if it was the alpha that attacked Jackson and Lydia yet?" Stiles asked making me look back at him.

"Yeah we're pretty sure it's him but apparently the alpha isn't really his main concern at the moment." I said rolling my eyes.

"What's more trying then a blood thirsty alpha?" Stiles asked in incredulity.

"The Argent family. He thinks that they might go after…" I stopped talking and knew there was really no way to tell Stiles why they'd be after Maggie but he noticed my pause.

"Go after who?" Stiles asked stopping what he was doing.

"J-Jackson, you know since he was there when the alpha showed up. He thinks they might be assuming he's part of the pack." I tried to cover and Stiles shook his head.

"You don't think they'd go after Lydia, do you? I mean she couldn't hurt a fly." Stiles said as if he had to convince me.

"I don't know. I guess not. She hasn't been at school since it happened anyway so I'd say she's safe for now." I shrugged but that didn't seem to make Stiles anymore assured. Sometimes I wish Maggie would have stuck around a little longer when we were kids just to snap Stiles out of his infatuation with Lydia. Just thinking about it took me back to a memory of us as kids.

"Hey, do you remember when we had that sleepover in the tree house a few months before Maggie disappeared?" I asked making Stiles pin his eyebrows together.

"Yeah? Why do you ask?" He said pulling a pajama bottoms out of a dresser.

"Do you remember when we found out that Maggie was both of our first kisses and you got mad at me because you thought I was going to like date her or something?" I laughed and Stiles did as well.

"You mean the one and only physical altercation we've ever had? Calling it a fight would make it seem like hair pulling and biting were acceptable fighting tactics." Stiles said.

"I still have that scar on my knee." I admitted remembering when Stiles bit my knee so hard it drew blood.

"I can't help but wonder how different things might be if she would have stayed here. I think about it more now that she's staying at the house. Could you imagine?" Stiles said making me glance over at him.

"Honestly, I kind of thought you might go for it after that fight. You know, ask her out or something." I said making Stiles cock his eyebrow.

"We were kids. Where was I supposed to ask her out to?" Stiles said it like it was a joke.

"I don't know I just thought…I just thought she would open your eyes to girls other then Lydia." I shrugged and Stiles eyed me.

"If we're being completely honest here, I just kind of always thought the same of you two. I mean she always said she liked your long hair and I made her laugh. But it doesn't matter anyway. It's not like that with Maggie and me. It never has been." Stiles said firmly and I didn't want to fight him on it even though I knew it was a lie. I heard the front door open downstairs and my eyes went wide.

"Someone's here! We've got to bail!" I whispered through gritted teeth. Stiles scrambled and looked at the window.

"You jump down first and catch the stuff. I'll jump down after." Stiles said opening the window. I practically leaped out of the window and landed on my feet but was knocked over by the heavy bags Stiles threw down at me. I looked up at him annoyed but didn't have much time to be pissed as he was jumping down on top of me. We both landed on the ground with a thud and I groaned.

"Dude what the hell?" I said rolling him off of me.

"I figured you'd heal. I'd break. It's a chance I'm willing to take in the situation. Let's go." Stiles got up and started pulling me up.

"Yeah just use my super healing as a reason to break your fall." I said bitterly picking up the bag.

"Better my fall than my ass." Stiles said as we made a b-line for the jeep. We got in and pulled away from the house just as more squad cars started to show up.

"Mission accomplished." Stiles said sounding excited. I looked through the bags and then over at Stiles noticing what was missing.

"Did you grab any…you know…underwear or bras?" I asked making Stiles hit the brakes.

"I thought you'd grab them!" He said and my jaw dropped.

"You told me to get stuff from the closet! You were in the dresser!" I pointed out and he huffed.

"Great so we got all the clothes she could possibly need but nothing to wear under them. We are the worst team ever." Stiles complained and I pulled out my phone.

"Who are you calling?" He asked sounding annoyed.

"The only other girl that could help us." I said equally annoyed.

"Hey what are you up to?" Allison sounded cheerful on the other end of the phone.

"Uh well Stiles and I kind of need some help." I said.

"Is everything okay?" She sounded concerned.

"Yeah, we're fine but we sort of went undercover to retrieve some of Maggie's clothes and forgot the important stuff." I explained hearing Allison sigh.

"You didn't get underwear or bras, did you?" She said knowingly.

"None at all. Do you think you could help us out?" I asked and she laughed.

"I'll take care of it. Just try not to get into trouble. You are already out past curfew." She teased and I smiled.

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow." I said not even fighting the smile.

"Goodnight." She said before hanging up. I looked over at Stiles and he rolled his eyes.

"You two give me heartburn, I hope you know that." Stiles said starting the jeep back up.

"It's called envy. Don't fight it." I ribbed making him fake a laugh as we drove towards my house.

**[Stiles's POV]**

I lugged the bags into the house by myself after dropping Scott off at home. I couldn't believe we managed to forget her underwear but if it were me I don't think I'd want her going through my personals anyway. I heard singing coming from the laundry room and head down the hall.

"Maggie?" I called out and she continued to sing. When I peeked my head into the room she had headphones on and was folding clothes. I picked up a pair of socks and threw them at her making her spin around startled.

"Those are your socks, jerk." She threw them back at me and I laughed.

"I didn't want to scare you out of fear that you might ninja throat punch me or something." I admitted and she smiled.

"Well that was probably a smart decision. How was…whatever you two ran off to go do?" She asked me walking out of the laundry room.

"It's funny you should ask. I have a surprise for you. Are you ready?" I said jumping in front of her.

"It's not going to like explode in my face right because I already showered." She asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"No but it will make you smile." I said pointing to the bags sitting next to the living room couch.

"Are those my bags?" She asked confused.

"Mmhm, why don't you open them up?" I said and she looked at me strangely before crouching down and unzipping the bag.

"MY CLOTHES!" She squealed and started digging through it. She unzipped the other one and started digging through it. I watched her light up like a kid on Christmas, tearing through the bags like it was the greatest thing she could have ever laid eyes upon. I felt myself smile at how happy she was and she jumped to her feet and ran towards me like she might tackle me but she stopped suddenly.

"I forget no hugs!" She said cringing. I was instantly kind of kicking myself for pushing her away earlier but she kissed the palm of her hand and hit the side of my cheek softly.

"Thank you times a million. This…this honestly made today so much better." She said smiling so hard it looked like it hurt her cheeks.

"After everything that's been going on and how I kind of failed at the whole friend thing today, I just wanted to make you smile. Check." I did an air check in the air and she laughed.

"Wait a second, how did you even get the clothes? I mean don't get me wrong I'm thrilled but your dad told me that the house was closed off." She said looking at me confused.

"H-how? Well I mean…you know." I tried to play it cool and it was like she could see right through me.

"No, no I don't. Did your dad let you in?" She asked.

"Not exactly." I looked away from her and she narrowed her gaze at me.

"Stiles…did you break into my house?" Maggie asked with a stern face.

"What?! No! Of course not. We found the spare key and just sort of let ourselves in. It was the whole evading before we were arrested that made it sort of…risky." I explained the best I could and she laughed.

"You are crazy you know that? Thank you. This truly means a lot to me." She smiled again and I was relieved she wasn't angry.

"Don't be too happy. We did forget your underwear but Allison said she would take care of it." I said and she nodded.

"That's cool. I don't mind going commando for a while." I froze when she said that and her laugh told me that she was joking.

"Wow I'm going to start thinking you believed those rumors about me being easy or something." She joked and I shook my head.

"You know I don't think that-" She cut me off.

"Stiles I was kidding. You did a really nice thing here. Don't over think about things we already discussed." She said patting my knee.

"I'm sorry if I ruined your chances with Isaac. I don't really know the guy but as long as he knows that he's got two team mates that will have no problem kicking his ass in the event that he upsets you, everything will be fine." I said making her smile.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about it. I took down Greenburg pretty easily and you were kind of a piece of cake too." She winked at me and I nodded.

"I don't think Scott will ever let us live that down by the way. He thought you gave me a hickey." I showed her the bruise on my collarbone and she laughed.

"Scott gives me far too much credit." She said rolling her eyes. She sat down and started going through her bags when suddenly she started to frown.

"What's wrong?" I asked sitting down on the edge of the couch.

"Who packed this bag?" She asked holding a shoebox.

"I-I did. I figured you would need shoes." I said and she pulled the lid off the box to show me that it wasn't shoes but a huge stack of letters.

"Sorry, I didn't know. It felt heavy enough to be shoes." I said apologizing.

"Did you read any of them?" She asked and I pinned my eyebrows together.

"No of course not." I said and she bit her lip.

"W-what are they?" I asked nervously.

"Postcards, birthday cards, holiday cards…things I never sent to you and Scott. I made sure I had for every single special occasion even though I knew I would never get to send them." She said and I saw my name on one of the envelopes.

"You have 6 years worth of cards for us in there? Seriously?" I said a bit shocked and she just nodded.

"I even have a sympathy card." She looked up at me and I felt a lump in my throat. She closed the lid on the box and pushed it back into the bag.

"I think I'm going to call it a night. I'll be fine down here by myself. Don't worry." She said giving me a weak smile.

"O-okay. Goodnight." I shuffled out of the living room knowing that she wanted some space. I changed out of my clothes and slipped into some sweatpants and a white t-shirt to sleep in but the moment I laid down in my bed I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep.

Maggie mentioning the old letters to us it made me think of my mom. The box in my closet was burning a hole into the clothing as I envisioned it in my mind. I finally rolled out of bed and retrieved the stupid box full of unopened letters that had collected a good amount of dust at this point. I walked slowly down the steps and saw Maggie still looking at her box of letters with only one light on. She looked up and saw me standing there with my own box but she didn't say anything.

"W-when my mom started to get really…sick, she acted like it was no big deal. She didn't seem any different to me so we just kept living under the impression that she would always be that way. When she really started to show that she wasn't getting better…she started to plan for the future in case she didn't make it." I explained sitting down next to her with the box still in my lap.

"Every day she would write me a letter to read in the event of something life changing or simple pick me ups. W-when she…when she died I went through the envelopes and read the titles of them all. Open when you graduate high school, open when you get your first job, open when your dad finds someone new to love…things like that." I said wiping the dust off the lid before opening it and looking at the envelopes. I knew which one I was looking for before I even came down stairs and held it in my hand.

"She even wrote a few about you." I held the envelope out and she took it.

"Open when Maggie comes home." She said getting a little choked up. She looked at the back of it and saw that it was still sealed.

"You haven't read it yet?" She asked handing it back.

"I've only managed to read one of them and it was the one for when I felt like I couldn't handle the world without her. I cried for a week, couldn't get out of bed and when I did I would have these horrible panic attacks…it wasn't pretty." I explained and Maggie frowned.

"I used to get those too after I saw my mom's…" Maggie stopped talking and cleared her throat.

"Do you think you'll read it?" She asked me.

"I want to but I want you to be here with me when I do. Is that okay?" I asked her and she nodded her head. I took a deep breath and looked at the letter. My hands were shaky as I opened it and pulled the letter out. I unfolded it and saw my mom's handwriting which still managed to make my heart pain.

" _T-to my sweet boy on another important day_." My voice caught in my throat and I tried to keep it together.

 _"The day has finally come. That day that you've been wishing and hoping for has finally arrived and I couldn't be more ecstatic for you. I know that you've got a lot of pain in your heart when it comes to Maggie and I know that you are as stubborn as your father when it comes to letting go of people's mistakes but I don't want you wasting any more time with that kind of pain. The only thing grudges bring is destruction. You were blessed with a genuine heart baby."_ I stopped reading to wipe at my face and Maggie slid her hand into mine looking at my face to make sure it was alright. I squeezed her hand before continuing.

 _"No matter how hard you fight it, no matter how much either of you want to deny it, you were meant to be in each other's lives. The bond you two share is one that distance, time and space could never truly break but it's up to you to open up yourself to her in order to let her fill the void in your heart that's been missing since she left. You'll be surprised when she lets you do the very same thing for her. No matter how hard things get in the future, just close your eyes and picture her and I guarantee it'll be okay."_ Maggie leaned her head on my shoulder and I glanced over at her before looking back at the letter.

 _"The heart is the strongest muscle in your body but it's also the easiest to strain. Don't let a few pains scare you from opening yourself up to the world. Live each and every day with the people you love and cherish them. Never take them for granted because time is a gift, not a promise. Send my love to Maggie. I'm sure she's even more beautiful now than she used to be. Give your father my love. With all my love, Mom. P.S you know where to find me if you ever need me."_ I ran my fingertips down the words as I finished reading it and Maggie lifted her head.

"She was the smartest woman I have ever known." Maggie said wiping at her face. She went to let go of my hand and I pulled on it catching her gaze.

"Thank you for reading that with me…and for coming home." I said quietly. She gave me a small smile before wiping a stray tear from my face.

"You should get some sleep." She said standing up and moving her things to the end of the couch. I watched her get settled in on the love seat and couldn't bring myself to go back upstairs.

"Do you still want to be alone or do you mind if I sleep down here again tonight?" I asked her and she sighed.

"I already promised I wouldn't take off." She said with a chuckle.

"I know, I believe you. I kind of just want to be down here…with you." I said feeling my neck heat up. I was afraid to meet her eyes but when I did she was smiling.

"I don't mind at all." She said softly and I wasted no time throwing the sheets on the couch to settle in for the night. I felt her eyes watching me the whole time and when I finally laid down I looked over at her.

"Sweet dreams, Stiles." She said softly.

"Sweet dreams, Mags." I said before clicking the light off behind me. The comfort I manage to achieve on a couch opposed to my bed was almost unexplainable but I knew it was because Maggie was sleeping a few feet from me. I finally felt like I could relax when she was at rest by my side. I started to think about what Scott had said earlier about what things would be like if Maggie would have stayed and couldn't help but wonder if there truly was something more to my friendship with Maggie. And if there was then what the hell was I supposed to do about it?


	10. What Goes Around

**[Maggie's POV]**

I stood in the long mirror in the guest room smoothing out the dress I had picked out to wear today. I actually woke up before Stiles this morning and was able to think about the night before. I know it took a lot for him to read that letter his mom wrote him and I was proud of him. The downside was that thinking of his mom and all the things she said about me only made me miss her and my own mom that much more. The two of them were actually really close, like Stiles and I but even closer since they grew up here and started their families here. It wasn't a shock when Stiles and I became good friends to them. I think it was just as heartbreaking for my mom to leave Claudia as it was for me to leave Stiles. I was quickly pulled out of my thoughts when someone knocked on the door frame. I looked in the mirror and smiled seeing it was John, Stiles and Lizzy.

"Oh Stiles said you got some clothes from Allison. You look more like…you." John said smiling.

"I just wish I felt more like me." I said sitting down on the dresser.

"I think she looks like a movie star." Lizzy said looking up at John who nodded.

"Thanks Lizzy but the only movie I'm starring in is the horror show that is my life." I said with a sigh as the three of them stared at me. I made eye contact with Stiles and he nodded softly. He seemed to know why everything felt so heavy.

"Maybe you just need to smile. Mommy says that always makes someone prettier." Lizzy added making me feel kind of bad for not being more positive.

"It's just hard to smile right now when I have so much on my mind." I explained and caught sight of John's frown feeling sort of guilty.

"Stiles can distract you. Go ahead! Tell her how pretty she looks." Lizzy patted Stiles on his stomach looking completely caught off guard.

"Wh-Oh yeah, you look…you look beautiful." He said once he got through his stuttering.

"That's right. Beautiful." Lizzy agreed smiling brightly.

"It's hard not to smile when I have an audience of people throwing compliments at me. Thank you." I said not being able to help smiling as I noticed a light blush on Stiles cheeks. I caught a glance at John and Lizzy giving each other a look and shook my head.

"Well I'm going to get this one's breakfast in her before she misses her bus." John said putting his hands on Lizzy's shoulders.

"If I miss it, could you take me to school with the siren on?!" Lizzy asked hopeful as John laughed.

"We'll see." John took Lizzy downstairs and Stiles put his hands in his pockets as he stood against the doorway.

"Are you feeling alright? I mean I know last night was sort of intense and all but you look a little sick." Stiles put a hand on my forehead and I cut my eyes at him.

"I'm not sick. I just have a lot on my mind. Going off to school and pretending like everything is normal is starting to get to me a little." I explained.

"Well you know taking the day off will only leave you here to dwell on it and the last thing we both need is for you to go through my room." Stiles teased.

"I don't need any more traumas in my life right now. Cleaning your room would probably result in some really unsavory nightmares." I teased right back.

"You know that Scott and I will be there making sure you're okay and you know dad is dying to give you any kind of news so if he hears anything he'll contact us." Stiles sat down next to me on the dresser.

"I know it's just…I've got French today so I'm going to have to face Isaac and straighten things out." I said feeling Stiles tense up next to me.

"Did you want me to talk to him? I mean I could-" I cut him off.

"No I really should do it. I mean I did kind of get him hit in the face." I said raising my eyebrows.

"Well if this guy wants to start dating you he's going to have to talk to Scott and me anyway. I mean he needs to know what he'll be facing if he hurts you in any way." Stiles said puffing his chest out slightly.

"Haven't you defended my honor enough for one week?" I joked.

"It could be worse, it could be my dad giving him the third degree. We're talking the drugs, alcohol and sex talk all at once with the guy sitting there." Stiles said making me cringe when I laughed.

"That's terrifying. I bet that was utterly horrifying." I said looking at him.

"I haven't gotten it yet. I'm still…" Stiles looked at me nervously and I shook my head.

"You don't have to-" I started but he stopped me.

"When I sort of asked you if you were a virgin the other night I didn't want you to think it was so I could judge you. I'm still a virgin myself and will more than likely be one for a while the way it seems. I just don't want some guy to come along thinking he can play with your emotions and leave you hanging. Not without a fight." Stiles said rubbing at the back of his neck.

"I'm not really surprised you're still a virgin." I said looking at him and he pinned his eyebrows together.

"Ouch." He put a hand on his heart.

"You aren't a fling kind of guy, Stiles. You have heart. Most girls in high school are too blind to see an amazing guy like you, even if you've been there since the third grade." Stiles bit his lip.

"Good save but I don't think Lydia is going to suddenly lower her standards from someone like Jackson to me." He gestured to himself and I laughed.

"Maybe she just needs someone to show her the way. Who knows, we may actually get along?" I teased and Stiles rolled his eyes.

"The day you give Lydia a chance is the day I welcome Isaac to the family." Stiles said making me laugh. We sat in silence for a moment before I looked over at him staring at his hands.

"Thank you…for watching my back." I said nudging his shoulder with my own.

"It's what friends are for." He nudged mine back.

"We better get out of here or else we'll miss all the new rumors about who bought my new clothes. Maybe a new sugar daddy or a pimp?" I joked grabbing my bag.

"They'd only think it was me if it was a plaid dress so I guess you're safe." Stiles said fixing his shirt. I paused at the door and stopped him from walking out.

"Just so you know…I am a virgin too and it would take a lot for me to trust someone enough to change that." I said firmly and Stiles nodded his head looking almost relieved. He followed me downstairs and John was holding Lizzy's backpack.

"I'm going to go ahead and drive her. Are you two coming back here or are you sticking around the school for the parent/teacher conferences?" John asked and I looked over at Stiles.

"We'll probably just come back here." Stiles said grabbing a drink from the fridge.

"I suspect to hear good things at this conference, Stiles." John pointed at him as he took a drink.

"I'm sure you'll hear tons of good things." I said with a smile and earning a face from Stiles. Lizze waved at the both of us as we watched them get into John's squad car and take off.

"So how bad do you think the conference will be?" I asked still staring at the car.

"Oh I don't know, about as bad as hitting the coach in the nuts with the lacrosse ball." Stiles said with a shrug. We grabbed our bags and got into the jeep.

"So lunch was kind of a disaster yesterday and I was thinking that we have sort of a do-over." Stiles said as he settled into the driver seat.

"A do-over? It's lunch, Stiles. We'll do it over and over every day we have school." I said shaking my head.

"I was thinking I get the lunch and you meet me in the library. We could eat and talk in peace." Stiles said making me look over at him.

"This isn't like a set up for brunch sex right because I can tell you right now that I'm in no way prepared for that." I joked and he snorted as he started the jeep.

"Of course not, we eat lunch at like 1 that would make it more like linner than a brunch." Stiles joked back.

"A quiet lunch sounds great." I said smiling at him. He smiled back and shook his head.

"Awesome." He says with a smile.

We sit in a comfortable silence the rest of the way to school. He gets stopped by Mr. Harris on the way in and I catch sight of Scott at his locker looking less than excited for today. I walked up and put a hand on his locker.

"Try not to look so thrilled." I said catching his attention.

"Sorry it's just…I had a rough night with Derek. He's really set on Allison and her family being werewolf terrorists and it's kind of bringing me down a bit." Scott explained. Just the mention of Allison made me remember that today was her birthday.

"Scott, you know Allison would never do anything to hurt you even if she knew the whole truth. Whatever her family is into I'm sure it's not just mindlessly killing people. Derek has a way of wanting to make everyone see the worst case in every situation instead of taking time to really think about things." I explained and Scott nodded his head.

"Yeah I guess you're right." Scott shrugged.

"You and Allison really care about each other so enjoy those feelings right now and deal with the heavy stuff when it comes." I said seeing Allison over his shoulder as she tried to frantically put balloons back in her locker.

"Try focusing on ways to make her smile today." I turned his head to look at Allison and he looked surprised. I shut his locker and followed him over to Allison who looked like a deer in headlights.

"Is it your birthday?" Scott asked as she read the card I gave her.

"Uh no no, I mean yes." She stopped fighting the balloons and glared at them.

"Please don't tell anybody." She said to Scott who chuckled.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Scott asked.

"Because I didn't want anybody to know." She looked at me embarrassed about the truth and I gave her a reassuring nod. Scott could be dense about some things but he was in no way stupid.

"Because I'm 17." She said looking at him nervously.

"You're 17?" Scott asked in disbelief and she glared at me again.

"That's the reaction I was trying to avoid." She slammed her locker shut and Scott stopped her.

"No it's cool. I totally get it. You had to repeat a year because of all the moving around, right?" Scott said making me let out a sigh of relief. She looked at him surprised before leaning over and kissing him. I rocked on my heels feeling a little awkward being there.

"What was that for?" Scott asked.

"For literally being the only person to ever make the correct assumption. Everyone always asks me if I was held back or had a baby." She said running a hand through her hair.

"You hear that on your birthday?" Scott asked.

"All day long." Allison said sadly.

"Then how about you two get out of here. Just get away from this madness for the day?" I suggested catching both their attention.

"You mean like skip class? I've never skipped a class." Allison said.

"Not just a class but the whole day. If you get caught then they'll go easy on you since it's your birthday." Scott added and I made hand gestures to try to convince her.

"Well what if you get caught?" Allison asked Scott and he looked at me.

"Oy vey, do I have to think of everything? Just get out of here and I'll figure something out. Try and enjoy your birthday." I hugged Allison and she laughed.

"Thank you." She said and Scott gave me a smile mouthing a thank you as well. I winked at him as I watched them nervously bail out of the side doors. I got a text from Stiles saying Mr. Harris was on his back so he would have to just see me at lunch which I didn't mind. I was on my way to French to straighten things out with Isaac when I heard people freaking out in a classroom nearby. A girl ran out to get the nurse and I saw some girl on the floor looking like she was convulsing.

"What's going on?" I asked a random student.

"It's just Erica Reyes having another seizure." He said like it was no big deal. I saw an orange tag on the floor that had been attached to a binder with her name on it and read it. It was an emergency card saying what to do in case of an episode like this.

"Put a book in her mouth so she doesn't swallow her tongue." Someone shouted and I pushed past them.

"Don't do that! It says not to do that." I kneeled down and looked her over, pulling her onto her side.

"It's okay Erica, you're almost through it." I said loud enough for her to hear me. She continued to seize and people stepped back making noises of disgust. I looked down and saw she had peed herself. Some boys started laughing and I saw one of them filming her.

"UNLESS YOU WANT TO EAT THAT CAMERA YOU'LL GET IT OUT OF HERE!" I yelled at him and he backed away laughing.

"It's okay Erica. Just breathe." I stroked her hair and she sounded like she was whimpering as the jerks in her body started to settle slightly. She reached up suddenly and gripped my hand and I latched onto her accidentally getting a glimpse into her life. She walked the halls at Beacon Hills practically like a ghost. People snickered at her if they even noticed her at all. She ate lunch alone, watched people around her and seemed to have a thing for Stiles. By the time I pulled out of the latch the nurse and an EMT were there.

"We've got her." He said pulling my hand out of her grasp.

"Just keep breathing Erica." The nurse said.

"T-tha-thank y-you." She tried to get out and I just nodded standing up and backing out of the way so the EMT's could help her. I looked at the other kids and was disgusted with how horrible they were to her. They were watching the video on his phone and I walked over swatting it out of his hand with a bit too much force because it flew into the wall and shattered.

"Bitch!" He said looking at me.

"She has a condition you dick! Would you kick a kid in a wheelchair too?" I asked baffled as I pushed past him and his stupid friends. I tried to shake off the crappy feeling but I ran into someone.

"Hey, hey are you okay?" It was Isaac. He looked over my shoulder and saw them taking Erica out on a stretcher.

"That's Erica Reyes. She has those all the time." Isaac tried to explain and I shook my head.

"Are people always such assholes to her about it?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest.

"This is high school. Wearing friend's clothes means you're sleeping together, didn't you hear?" He said making me chuckle.

"How's your mouth?" I asked reaching up to the side of his cheek making sure not to touch his busted lip.

"It's fine. I don't think any charms are going to work on it though." He said making me panic a bit but figured he was being funny.

"So I know things are kind of serious in your life right now and dating is like the last thing on your mind but I was sort of hoping that I could kind of be put on the reserves list." Isaac said biting the good side of his lip.

"Reserves list?" I asked confused.

"Like when things lighten up and you want to get out of your house for a bit I could be that lucky guy to get the call." Isaac explained and I felt myself blush.

"I wouldn't mind you being at the top of that list." I said making Isaac smile.

"Great. Do you think maybe your friend would mind horribly if you paired with me today in French? I sort of need some help." Isaac asked and I looped my arm into his.

"I don't think she'll mind today." I said following him to class. It was nice to talk with Isaac for most of the morning. He did struggle with his French but I told him I would make him flash cards to help and he seemed to pick it right up. I learned a little about his job with his dad in the cemetery and about his mom passing away not too long ago. I was actually kind of bummed when I had to leave him to go to my next class.

"Make a new friend I see." Danny said as I opened my locker.

"Yeah, Isaac's great." I said with a smile and Danny pinched my cheek.

"Little bit of a blush there." He teased and I swatted his hand.

"Cut it out. You know, it's alarming how many kids in Beacon Hills come from single parent homes these days." I pointed out.

"Well both of my parents are health nuts and totally in love so I guess I'm just naturally breaking the mold for unique kids here." Danny smiled proudly and I shoved his shoulder.

"No one likes a smug gay with a happy home life, Danny." I teased looking around. He looked around as well and furrowed his eyebrows together.

"Who are you looking for?" He asked.

"Stiles. I thought he would be stopping by on his way to his next class." I said and Danny shut his locker.

"Well he did ask me about Lydia and I told him she was still recovering from the other night. Apparently she's staying pretty out of her head since the attack. He probably went to check on her." Danny said and I looked at him.

"Did you see him leave?" I asked curiously and Danny leaned against my locker.

"While I don't believe the rumors about you two, I can't help but notice you seem a bit…I don't know, jealous?" Danny smiled smugly and I glared.

"And while I'm sure as a gay man you can appreciate a good ass but no one likes a smartass." I punched his shoulder and he laughed following me to my next class.

"I do love you back in your old clothes but I can only tell people I'm you queer eye for so long before they start assuming you've got a new man." Danny teased me the rest of our next class together and when I caught a glimpse outside I noticed Stiles jeep was in fact gone. He hadn't texted me telling me we weren't having lunch so by the time lunch time did come around I found myself waiting in the library for almost 15 minutes before giving up. I walked out front and let out a sigh. I shouldn't be surprised that he forgot all about me to go check on Lydia. I really needed to keep in mind where Stiles heart always ended up falling even when things seemed to be going well between us. I looked at the school and realized I should have just stayed home today. Then it hit me.

Thinking that the Stilinski residence was my home made me feel bad like I wasn't trying hard enough to find out where Karen or Louis had disappeared to. I started walking towards my actual home and felt the wind whip through my hair and for a moment I thought I heard Karen's voice. I picked up the pace and almost ran the rest of the way there trying to use my other sense like she had taught me. There wasn't a cop car out front but the tape was still around the house. I thought the door might be locked but it wasn't. I pushed it open and closed my eyes taking in the smells and the sounds of lingering people walking through the halls.

"Come on, focus." I told myself taking a deep breath. I saw some scratches in the wood foyer and put my hand on it latching to it quickly.

_A knife was thrown at the wood and Karen ducked avoiding being impaled. She used her powers to throw him into the wall and he got up quickly grabbing her around the neck trying to strangle her. She reached back and tried to pull the blade out of the wood, cutting her hand in the process before yanking it out and stabbing the man. He tried to retreat by running down the stairs to the basement and she breathed hard._

" _Oh no you don't." She said out of breath as she followed after him._

I pulled out of the latch and gripped the banner feeling just as out of breath as Karen seemed. Who was the guy trying to kill Karen and why the hell was he trying to kill Karen in the first place? I didn't really remember what my dad looked like but this guy was definitely not him. My eyes caught sight of the bloody hand print on the banister leading up the steps. I felt my body shake nervously. The hand print wasn't there in the first latch so it must have been left intentionally. I took a deep breath and slowly reached out seeing my hand shake as it lowered onto the bloody print. It practically sucked me in as I latched to it quickly and felt like the air was knocked out of me.

" _Maggie, I don't have much time to explain but I need you to pay attention. Nathan called and said Louis never made it to the meeting. Louis has gone missing and I need to head out for a few days to find him. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. I knew you'd want to go with me and you just aren't ready yet. John will take good care of you and keep you safe but I need you to keep your eyes open. There is a threat that you haven't been exposed to yet. One that is something we haven't discussed. I need you to be on your toes. Your powers have grown in the short time we've been working on them. All you have to do is believe strong enough in what you already know about our magic and anything is possible. I promise I will come back for you when I can. Please just stay safe and remember the power you have. You are stronger than you think sweetheart. I'm proud of you and I love you. I'll see you soon baby."_ Karen was speaking directly to me and when she finished speaking it was like I was thrown from the banister as I crumbled to the floor. I started to breathe heavily and I knew the familiar feeling of a panic attack setting in as my vision started to blur. I saw a dark figure and he leaned down to scoop me up.

"Just hold onto me." It was Derek's voice. The next thing I knew was being carried somewhere, holding onto Derek as tightly I could before darkness took over. I wasn't surprised I blacked out. I had latched onto Erica and two different parts of the house that were a bit too emotional to handle at the moment. I had no idea what Karen meant by a threat we hadn't talked about yet. Who would want to hurt us other than my dad and where did Louis disappear to? I don't know how long I was out for but when I woke up I smelt the lingering smolder of burnt wood and settled dust. I opened my eyes and realized I was in Derek's burnt down house.

"Want to tell me what you were doing at the house alone? Didn't they find a dead guy in the basement?" Derek's voice made me look over and see him doing pushups shirtless.

"I-I needed answers. What were you doing there?" I asked rubbing my head.

"I could hear your heartbeat a mile away." He said simply.

"What are you spying on me via bodily functions now?" I asked trying to stand up but falling back onto the old couch.

"That was really a stupid thing of you to do. Anyone could have found you like that and then what would you have done?" Derek started to treat me like he was my father or something and I rolled my eyes.

"Scott's right, you are way too paranoid and while I'm here, you really should lay off of him about Allison's family. He's really starting to fall for her and you are taking the magic out of it." I said without thinking.

"Scott's not in love, none of you are in love. You're all just children." Derek huffed and I tilted my head at him.

"So we're young and naïve, tell me something shocking?" I said finally standing.

"How about that falling for one of the Argent's tricks could end up with him losing a lot more than his supposed first love. Try his whole family." Derek said nastily. I took a step back and I looked at him trying to put the pieces together. I finally remembered Allison's aunt Kate and my mouth dropped catching Derek's attention.

"You and Kate Argent? No way!" I said covering my mouth. His jaw tightened and he glared at me.

"So she broke your heart huh?" I asked and he snapped around slamming his fist into the wall making me jump back into the couch.

"NO SHE SET ME UP! MADE ME FALL FOR HER, TRUST HER AND SHE MURDERED MY ENTIRE FAMILY! I WAS SCOTT'S AGE WHEN I LOST EVERYONE I LOVED BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS IN LOVE!" He screamed at me and I felt my heart racing. He stepped back and sat down on a chair putting his head in his hands.

"Is that why you keep trying to protect me? Because I lost my family too and you think the Argent's have something to do with it?" I asked making Derek look up.

"What do you know about the Argent's?" He asked curiously.

"I know they hunt werewolves-" I started and Derek got up looking frustrated.

"They hunt whatever could possibly be more powerful than the human race. You think witches aren't on their watch list?" He asked walking closer to me.

"I don't know! I don't know anything! All I know is most of my family is dead and it was one man, my father, who killed them all. Now the only family I have left is missing." I said throwing my arms out and trying to steady my breathing so I didn't get upset but I was failing.

"What did you see when you connected with the blood? Was it your aunt?" Derek asked sitting down in front of me.

"Yeah she left it there on purpose for me to find. S-she said she had to find my uncle because he was missing and that there was some sort of threat that she hadn't told me about yet." I felt the tears coming up and Derek stayed silent.

"Well what does it all mean? Why would she just take off like that? Why wouldn't she just let me help her? Why didn't she just tell me? W-why do I keep losing my family?" I cried softly feeling the pull in my chest.

"I honestly don't know. I don't know how to help you or make you feel better. I'm not good with that kind of stuff." Derek admitted freely looking down at his hands.

"I sort of lost my whole family in one fell swoop so I don't know how you manage to keep going through that pain over and over again." Derek said as I wiped my face.

"Well I'm done with that feeling. I'm tired of feeling that pain and weakness. I'm done losing people." I stood up wiping the last tear off my face and making my way to the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" Derek asked me.

"If the Argent's are the new threat then I want to be prepared." I said and Derek shook his head.

"You can't just go after the Argent's alone. They're dangerous." Derek explained and I shrugged.

"I'm a pissed off teenage witch with a background in hand to hand combat, I'm small but I'm big." I said making Derek click his tongue to his teeth before pulling on my arm but before I could protest he paused.

"Shhh wait." He looked towards the door and started to drag me towards the broken wall.

"What are you doing?" I asked confused.

"Please just trust me! Hide in here. Duck down low and whatever happens don't say anything okay? Promise me!" He demanded as he stuffed me into a broken piece of the wall.

"Okay I promise." I said nervously ducking down unsure of what exactly I was promising but the look of terror on Derek's face had me sold. He ran away from where he had stuffed me and I waited quietly before the front door was kicked open.

"No one home?" A male voice said.

"Oh he's here. He's just not feeling particularly hospitable." A female voice said and I had a feeling it was Kate Argent.

"Maybe he's out burying a bone in the backyard." Another, younger male voice said.

"Really? A dog joke? We're going there and that's the best you got?" Kate said scolding the man.

"If you want to provoke him say something like…too bad your sister bit it before she had her first litter." I could practically feel Derek's rage throughout the house at the swipe she took at his sister.

"Too bad she howled like a bitch WHEN WE CUT HER IN HALF!" Kate screamed and I felt my heartbeat rise as she stepped into view. Derek growled and I heard a man scream before he crashed into a wall. I saw another guy hit the ground as Derek growled again and I watched Kate stare at him unaffected by it. She pulled a long stick out as Derek charged her and before he could even get a hand on her she hit him with it sending jolts of electricity into him making him crumble to the floor. My hand went to my mouth as I watched him twitch and groan on the floor, helpless.

"Wow this one grew up in all the right places. I don't know whether to kill it or lick it." Kate taunted Derek and he looked towards me shaking his head no. He tried to crawl away from her but she stalked him like he was her prey, hitting the button on the tazer ever so often to remind him what she had.

By the time he reached the couch she shocked him in the stomach again sending him all the way to the part of the wall I was crouched down in. I felt hot tears in my eyes as he turned toward me.

"Let me help you." I thought so loud in my head it was like I had said it out loud because his eyes hit mine.

"Don't." He said out loud still twitching.

"Don't? That's so pathetic." Kate laughed at Derek thinking he was talking to her.

"900,000 volts, how can you not love it? You never were good with electricity, were you? Or fire." She added as Derek rolled over to look at her with a death glare.

"Which is why I'm gonna let you in on a little secret and maybe we can help each other out." She said looking down at him.

"Yes your sister was severed into pieces and used as bait to try and catch you. Unpleasant and frankly a little too Texas Chainsaw Massacre for my taste but quite true. Now here's the part that might really kick you in the balls…we didn't kill her." Kate said as Derek managed to sit up almost in front of where I was hiding.

"What? You think I'm lying?" She asked staring down at Derek.

"Wouldn't be the first time." He said bitterly trying to breathe through his pain.

"Aw sweetie. Why don't you listen to my heart and tell me if I am, okay?" She said crouching down in front of Derek.

"We…didn't…kill…your…sister." She got all the way up close and personal with Derek and he just sat there and took it. She was the only person I had ever seen that close to Derek without getting punched in the face.

"See? No blips or upticks. Just the steady beat of the cold, hard truth." She backed away from Derek and sighed. I wanted to try to do a healing spell on Derek in my head but I couldn't focus.

"We found bite marks on your sister's body, what do you think did that? A mountain lion?" She laughed at Derek as she put her tazer away.

"Why aren't we helping each other out? You might as well admit what we've been guessing all along which is that the alpha killed your sister and all you have to do is tell us who he is and we'll take care of it for you. Problem solved and everyone goes home happy." Kate smiled at Derek and he looked up at her.

"Even if you get the alpha, you won't stop. If that was the truth then you wouldn't be sending your goons around the Carter house." Derek said making me feel like I was on edge.

"Yes we're aware the Steven's witches or what's left of them are back here in Beacon Hills but as long as we take care of the alpha we won't need to deal with them. Why do you suddenly care about a bunch of witches anyway?" Kate asked with a laugh.

"It's the young one isn't it? She's a bit young for you don't you think?" Kate teased Derek and he growled.

"Or could it be because she reminds you of Laura? Maybe even little Cora. From what I've heard from Allison she certainly has some of her endearing qualities. Tell you what? You tell me who the alpha is and I'll make sure she stays out of harm's way." Kate gave Derek an empty promise and I could see his chest rise and fall as if he were caught between telling her the truth and lying.

"Unless you don't know who he is either." Kate looked at Derek and he didn't respond.

"That's a shame Derek. It truly is. Maybe I'll get lucky and find that little witch so I could cut her in half since I missed out on your sister." She said staring down at Derek. She started to laugh and turn away from Derek.

"Get down." He whispered and I saw him getting to his feet anticipating her next move.

"Well look who just became totally useless." Kate said before turning a gun towards the wall and opening fire. I stooped so low that I practically became one with the floor as Derek took off out of the house. She finally stopped firing and cursed under her breath as Derek got away. It was then that I realized I was left alone with a woman who wants to kill me.

**[Stiles's POV]**

I've been sitting at home for about 10 minutes now completely regretting going over to Lydia's house to check on her. I had blown off a class just to visit and spent the rest of my classes trying to track down Scott's stupid ass to show him what I found on Lydia's phone. No wonder she needed to be so drugged up after seeing what she saw. For a minute I was actually enjoying the attention she was showing me but the moment she called me Jackson the dream died. That was the furthest from my mind though. I was almost out of the door when Lydia stopped me yet again.

**_{2 Hours Earlier…}_ **

_I started for the door after prying her off my lap regrettably with the cell phone in my hand ready to run for the hills and tell Scott._

" _Well I guess I'll let you get some sleep." I turned my back thinking she was asleep but she shot right up._

" _Don't go! We can talk about that bitch Maggie." Lydia said almost like she was slurring her words. I remembered what Maggie had said earlier when we talked and I felt I should at least try to get Lydia to back off._

" _That's a little harsh Lydia. I think you should really get to know her." I said sitting back down on the bed but Lydia giggled._

" _No not bitch, I meant witch…with a W!" She said making a funny face as she ran her hand up and down my arm totally distracting me._

" _O-K that's a bit of a grade school downgrade but it's better than bitch." I said unable to really think of a proper response._

" _No silly she's a real witch! I looked it up." Lydia laughed and I cocked my eyebrow at her._

" _Is that what these little pills are telling you? Must be nice. Can I be a ninja?" I reached over to retrieve the pills on the nightstand and read the label. She was really drunk off these pills at the moment and I had to think about how much they would sell for._

" _Noooo that's what it says online. I looked her family up after you gave me her REAAAAL name." I felt a panic set in slightly remembering I had actually spilled the beans on Maggie's secret in a moment of rage but I tried to play it off._

" _Of course and what else did the internet say?" I asked trying to get more information out of her._

" _Her whole family is full of witches and that it's suspected they were all slaughtered because of it. Sssslaughtered…S-s-." Lydia got stuck on the word Slaughtered and thinking about what I knew about Maggie's family I was afraid she might be telling the truth._

" _You're joking right? None of that's true, Lydia." I tried to convince her and she shot up again tapping my hand that held her phone tightly._

" _It is true. It's all on my phone and I'm going to send it to everyone in my contacts so they know just how much of a freak she really is." Lydia smiled goofy but in a sadistically cute way as well as I tried to get through the drunkenness of her mind._

" _Look Lydia, you can't do that. Maggie's…Maggie's been through a lot lately and the last thing she needs is added stress of more rumors. Maybe you should just give her a chance. I think you two would really get along if you just gave it a shot. Please?" I begged looking into Lydia's eyes. She actually seemed to understand what I was saying and she put her hand on my thigh._

" _Sure…I'll give it a-" Before Lydia could finish her thought her head fell directly on my crotch making me instantly pop a boner. I managed to push her off of me and get out of her house unseen but the blue balls and the fact that I may potentially ruin Maggie's life unintentionally weighed pretty heavy on me the entire drive home._

Now I kept calling Scott trying to figure out what I was supposed to do with Lydia's phone and possibly how I was going to make Lydia forget what I told her without having to slip her some sort of amnesia medication. I dialed Scott's number again and this time only got his voicemail.

"Hey! It's me again. Look I found something and I don't know what to do. I may also have ruined any progress I've made with Maggie so if you could just turn your phone on RIGHT NOW that would be great or else I'll kill you. Do you understand me? I'm going to kill you…and I'm too upset right now to come up with a witty description of how exactly I'm going to kill you but I'm just gonna do it! Okay? I'm...UGH! Call me back!" I yelled into the phone before hanging it up and tossing it on my bed. I sat down in my chair and put my head in my hands. I picked up Lydia's phone again and watched the video. It had to be the alpha. There was no questioning it but if Lydia had this on her phone it could make her a target like Scott and I talked about.

As I watched the sun go down I ended up deleting the video from her phone. I wasn't going to let Lydia get hurt because of the freak show that was our lives. My curiosity got the better of me and I looked at the email Lydia was talking about earlier with information on Maggie. I started to read it over and despite it making sense I just couldn't make myself believe that Maggie was some sort of witch. It's impossible. We were the humans in the mess of werewolves we were in. She had to be normal like me. I reached into my pocket and felt the cash floating around in my pocket. I pulled it out and looked at the 20 and tried to figure out why it was in my pocket. That's when it hit me.

"SHIT! Lunch with Maggie!" I jumped out of my chair and dove onto my bed to get my phone. I almost dialed her number when Derek came tumbling through my window causing me to roll off my bed and hit the floor.

"Dude! What the hell?! I mean WHAT THE HELL!?" I shouted throwing my hands out as he was shirtless and out of breath.

"Maggie…Maggie's trapped." He said making my heartbeat faster.

"What?! Where?! What did you do?" I accused getting closer and Derek pushed past me.

"Kate Argent tried to kill me-" He started to say and I shook my head.

"And you just had to get her involved!? What the hell Derek! She's just a girl!" I said earning a growl and a hard shove into my wall.

"I DIDN'T INVOLVE HER!" He growled breathing hard. I picked up my phone again and tried calling but Derek swatted my hand.

"She's hiding in my house! If her phone goes off, Kate will hear it." Derek said and I shook my head.

"What the hell am I supposed to do here? I'm not leaving her there!" I said and Derek stood there silently. I rolled my eyes before walking into my dad's room and getting a shirt for Derek. I threw it at him as I grabbed my keys and started out of my room.

"You guys need to realize that Maggie and I are only human. We don't just heal like you guys do." I scolded Derek as I grabbed an extra jacket for Maggie knowing it was probably chilly for her dress now that the sun was down.

"That's…that's not entirely true." I stopped and looked at Derek but he didn't meet my gaze.

"You know something about Maggie that I don't…tell me." I said a bit pushy.

"If she wanted you to know, she'd have told you." Derek said simply. I wanted to punch him in the face so bad but I knew how much it hurt the first time. I pushed past him and walked out of the front door ready to jump in the jeep but Scott came to a screeching halt in front of my driveway.

"STILES!" He got out yelling and I threw my arms up.

"Now you show up? Really? Thanks for turning off your phone, DICK!" I said as Scott ran towards me.

"Something happened!" He said frantically.

"No shit, Sherlock! Lydia saw the alpha and Derek got Maggie trapped-" Derek cut me off.

"I didn't get her trapped!" Derek yelled and I rolled my eyes but before Derek and I could get into it Scott grabbed my arm.

"It's your dad!" He said and I felt my heart stop.

"What? What happened? Where is he?" I asked and Scott shook his head.

"There was a mountain lion in the parking lot at the school. People started freaking out and he got hit by a car." Scott explained and I was an instant wreck. There were too many emotions in my head right now so I decided on rage as I grabbed Scott by his shirt and shook him.

"HOW ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE ALL THESE SPECIAL ABIILITES AND NOT USE THEM TO PROTECT MY DAD?" I yelled hitting his back into the jeep knowing it was probably hurting the jeep more than him.

"I know! I'm sorry!" Scott said holding onto my hands as I continued to jack him up. Derek finally pulled us apart and I ran my hands through my hair.

"CALM DOWN! Scott, are they taking the Sheriff to the hospital?" Derek asked him.

"Yeah he was awake and fighting the EMT's about going but they wanted to get him checked out. My mom is probably going to call you." Scott gestured to me and I shook my head totally disgusted with my best friend at the moment.

"We'll find Maggie and call you as soon as we can. Now go….GO!" Derek pushed me towards the jeep and pulled Scott towards his car. I looked at Scott one last time before jumping in the jeep and speeding the whole way to the hospital.

"Please…please let them be okay." I said aloud as I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel anxiously.

**[Scott's POV]**

"If she got out she wouldn't be walking the main roads. We need to look on the back roads." Derek said as I drove.

"I should have done something. Argent came out of nowhere and just…I should have-" I was cut off when Derek hit me in my arm.

"Look, there is nothing you can do about it now. We need to find Maggie and make sure she's alright. Get your head here." Derek scolded me and I shook my head.

"What was she doing at your house anyway?" I asked taking the turn to the back roads.

"I found her at her house. She knows something about her aunt and I took her back to the house because I didn't have anywhere else to take her." Derek said looking through the trees.

"Why did you leave her there?" I asked still confused.

"Kate Argent showed up to find out who the alpha was. I didn't have time to get her out so I hid her. I should have known Kate would try something like that." Derek scolded himself now and I shook my head.

"Well she was there to kill you, not Maggie. That proves you wrong." I said and Derek's head snapped towards me.

"Maybe you should ask Maggie what she witnessed before being so sure about me being wrong. Maybe you'll believe her over me." Derek said like he wanted to punch me in the face.

"You…you don't think she'd hurt Maggie do you?" I asked concerned.

"If she thinks Maggie knows who the alpha is, she might. She might just because she didn't get me." Derek said clenching his jaw. We kept driving and it wasn't long until we spotted her. She looked like she was freezing as she walked up the dark road with her arms wrapped around herself. She looked terrified when she saw us.

"Maggie! It's me!" I got out and yelled seeing how she looked like she was going to run into the trees. She looked relieved to see me though. Derek got out and she looked at him almost breaking down. She ran to him and threw her arms around him. Derek looked completely shocked. He glanced over at me with his arms out unsure if he should put them around Maggie or not.

"I'm so sorry she did that to you. She's a monster." Maggie said sniffling. Derek cut his eyes at me. I felt like an idiot. He patted her back.

"I'm sorry I left you behind. I didn't really think-" She let go of Derek and shook her head.

"You had to go or she would have killed you. I'm glad you left. She only stuck around for about an hour but I have a feeling she is a bit rogue. The guys she had with her kept saying they should have waited like Chris Argent said." Maggie explained and I noticed her shaking. I pulled my jacket off and put it on her shoulders.

"I'm not surprised but you need to get warmed up or you'll catch pneumonia." Derek rubbed her arms and caught my eye stopping immediately.

"We need to get to the hospital." I added.

"I'm fine. John has a space heater in the garage. I'll just get Stiles to set it up." Maggie said and Derek gave me a stern look.

"Mags…" I said her name and she looked at me. I watched her face grow serious.

"Wh-what happened? Where's Stiles?" She looked from me to Derek.

"Stiles is fine." Derek said and I bit my lip.

"The Sheriff…he was hurt at the school." I said and Maggie put her hand to her heart.

"What happened?" She asked in almost a whisper.

"There was a mountain lion on the loose. People started to freak out and someone backed into him." I explained and she covered her mouth with her hands. I put a hand on her elbow and pulled her into my chest.

"This is all my fault. I bring bad luck wherever I go." She cried into my chest.

"That's not true. I promise you that's not true." I said into her hair.

"Maggie, you need to pull yourself together…for Stiles. He's going to need you." Derek said making her wipe her face quickly. She patted my chest with her hand.

"We need to get to the hospital." She said finally collecting herself. Derek helped her into the car and shut the door.

"You aren't coming?" I asked him as he didn't get in.

"I need to get some things in order. Take care of her." Derek said looking in the window at Maggie before stalking off into the woods. Maggie rubbed her hands together and brushed some of her hair off her face. She had some soot on her face but I didn't want to point it out. I wanted to ask her about what Kate Argent said or what she saw at her house but I couldn't focus on anything.

"Are you okay?" I finally blurted and she looked over at me.

"Sorry that's a stupid question. Of course you aren't." I shook my head and Maggie reached over to touch my arm.

"Are you okay?" She asked me and I shrugged.

"I went MIA for the whole day, got my girlfriend grounded, pissed my mom off, Stiles hates me and you…I should never have left you." I looked over at her and she frowned.

"I'm a big girl Scott. Besides I'm the one who practically had to bribe you to take your girlfriend out for her birthday. Even you need to get away some times." She gave my arm a squeeze.

"I feel like there is so much going on I can't pick one thing to focus on and when I do, it never seems like the right thing I'm supposed to be focused on." I explained as we pulled up to the hospital.

"Hey, you can't protect us all." Maggie said as I parked the car.

"I have to…I have to do better." I said looking at her. She tilted her head sideways before leaning over and hugging me.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there tonight." I said as she hugged me.

"I'm sorry you have to carry the weight of the world." She said back.

When we finally pulled up, she was practically running into the ER entrance. I tried to get through the rush of people but she beat me onto the elevator.

"I'll meet you up there." I said waving at her and she gave me a thumbs up. Just as the doors closed another opened and Stiles came out.

"What are you doing here?" He asked pulling his phone out.

"How's your dad?" I asked as if he hadn't asked me a question.

"He's alive, not that you care." Stiles was fuming.

"Come on man." I said putting a hand on his arm but he jerked it away.

"Did you at least find Maggie?" He asked me and I sighed.

"She's on her way up. I know you're pissed at me but-" Stiles cut me off.

"That's the thing Scott you keep forgetting that we all aren't you and Derek. We don't just get hurt and heal. We're human. We break easy. Me, my dad, Maggie... if the first thing that comes to your mind is to save Allison then I don't want you around my family. I'm…I'm not going to lose the only family I have left." Stiles said swallowing hard. All I kept thinking was that I was how I was a part of his family before tonight.

"Just go…GO!" Stiles pointed to the doors and I nodded my head.

"I'm sorry man. Let me know if you need anything." I shoved my hands in my pockets and he snorted.

"Yeah try turning your phone on." Stiles hit the button on the elevator and I walked out of the hospital without either of my best friends and a weight so heavy I didn't think I'd even make it to the car.

**[Maggie's POV]**

I got to the third floor and looked around for someone that could help me but it seemed that no one could point me in the right direction. The nurses' station just said that if I wasn't family I couldn't go back and see him. I searched for Stiles and started to feel myself get upset again when I couldn't find him.

"Just breathe." I whispered to myself taking deep breaths. The elevator dinged and when the doors opened I could have cried just seeing Stiles. His body slacked when he saw me and he ran his hands down his face.

"I couldn't find you and the nurses told me I wasn't immediate family so I couldn't-" I started walking towards him and he practically sprinted towards me wrapping his arms around me tightly knocking the air out of me.

"Thank God…" He said resting his head on top of mine.

"I'm sorry." I said not really sure what to say. Stiles squeezed me tighter.

"Don't be sorry…just don't let go of me okay?" Stiles said into the top of my head. I hugged him tighter and took in his scent. He smelled soft, if that's possible. Like fresh laundry, light cologne and rain.

"Stiles…as much as I love that you're hugging me again I'm kind of freaking out about your dad." I said into his chest and he pulled away quickly.

"Oh God I'm sorry, he's this way." He took my hand and led me down the hallway towards a room. There were some other officers coming out of the room and I could hear John ranting about something to a nurse. I pulled back on Stiles arm and he looked back at me.

"He's okay. They are running tests to make sure everything is okay internally." Stiles said and I took a deep breath before entering.

"You tell that guy the next time he wants to peel out of a parking lot try not to run down the Sheriff." John was saying to someone on the phone. He was in a hospital bed with a hospital gown on and wires running all over the place. I put my hand to my mouth trying not to get emotional but after a day like this tears just seemed sort of second nature at this point. Stiles put his arm around me and I put a hand on his chest.

"Maggie its okay sweetheart. I'm fine." John said seeing us standing there.

"I…I just…can I hug you without hurting you?" I asked and he nodded.

"As long as you don't hug me like Stiles did. If there was something wrong with my back he certainly straightened it out." He held his arms out and I walked over hugging him with restraint so I didn't hurt him.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I honestly don't even know what happened. All Scott said was you were hit by a car and I practically tuned the world out." I said relieved and Stiles stood on the other side of the bed with his hands in his pockets.

"I was coming out of the conferences when people started to scatter. Apparently the mountain lion was looking for another victim and in the rush of things I got hit by a scrambler. I tried to tell the paramedics I didn't need to go to the hospital but they insisted I go." John explained and Stiles snorted.

"It's a good thing too. You could have internal bleeding or ruptured something." Stiles said pointing at his dad and John smiled softly.

"Hey kiddo, I'm okay." He reached out and patted Stiles hand. The doctor came in and looked at all three of us.

"We need to take you for one more scan Sheriff and it looks like you'll be here overnight but it's just precaution." The doctor said and John shook his head not pleased.

"Come on, Doc. Is all this really necessary?" John asked wincing as he sat up.

"Dad, just listen to the doctor okay?" Stiles spoke up.

"Fine I'll stay but you kids need to get home and get some sleep. I don't want you-" Stiles huffed.

"As if we're going to leave you here by yourself." Stiles argued.

"Plus, do you really want two teenage kids in a house alone overnight?" I added seeing a blush creep up on Stiles cheeks.

"Should I be worried?" John tilted his head sideways with a playful smirk.

"Stiles did offer me brunch sex this morning so who knows?" I joked crossing my arms over my chest.

"Brunch se- you know what never mind. You can stay but I'm warning you now I will be very unpleasant for the next few hours." John warned us and the doctor chuckled.

"The tests will probably put him right to sleep actually but I'll let the nurses know you'll need some extra blankets and another chair." She said smiling before leaving the room. I sat down on the side of the bed and put my hand on John's.

"On the plus side of things, you both didn't have bad reviews when it came to your teachers. Though I'm wondering if your Econ teacher is actually a real teacher. He's kind of a nutjob." John said making Stiles laugh.

"Coach is a bit over the top." Stiles said standing beside me.

"Not as over the top as you writing a paper about the history of circumcision." John said making me gape at Stiles who looked embarrassed.

"Your teachers seem to think you're settling in nicely too. Despite everything you're going through they said your grades haven't slipped and you actually assisted in helping a girl today who had a seizure in class?" John said looking at me.

"What?" Stiles asked and I shrugged.

"It was nothing really. Erica Reyes had a seizure in class and I saw some kids trying to help her out in passing but they were too busy laughing and taking a video. I'm surprised I didn't get in trouble for smashing that kid's phone." I said biting my lip but John just nodded.

"That was a nice thing you did. I'm glad you stick up for the underdog. You both have good hearts." John said looking from me to Stiles. The nurse came in to retrieve John and he told us that he would be right back. All I wanted to know was if there was any internal damage so I could heal him the best I could. I kept in mind what Karen said though and didn't use my magic blindly. I set up a place for Stiles and I to sleep for the night while he ran to the cafeteria to raid the snack machines. By the time he came back, I had set up a semi comfortable sleeping arrangement with a small couch and a chair which was all they could give us.

"I've got loaded potato chips for dinner and your pick of candy for dessert." Stiles put the snacks on the side table and I laughed.

"Your dad would seriously be giving you a death glare for bringing that in here." I said making him sigh.

"I know so eat fast." He opened his chips and Reese's candy as I tried to eat my own. My stomach was kind of at the point of being hungry where it made me feel sick to even eat at this point.

"Stomach hurt?" Stiles must have noticed my cringe as I swallowed the chips.

"Yeah, I didn't really eat lunch so I'm going off of breakfast." I said and Stiles looked down at his hands.

"I'm sorry about that by the way. I guess once my dad is out of here you can be mad at me full on." He said making me laugh.

"You think I'm holding back because your dad is in the hospital?" I asked and he chewed slowly.

"Well I mean...I thought you'd be mad I ditched you today. I really didn't mean to. I just got caught up with-" I stopped Stiles.

"I know, Danny told me. It's fine. I took care of some things today too and ended up getting caught up in a way. It's no big deal." I said brushing it off.

"No it is a big deal. I made plans with you again and didn't keep them. On top of that, you almost got hurt. If I knew Scott was going to be a jackass today then I wouldn't have gone wandering off." Stiles said gritting his teeth.

"So this crappy day is all Scott's fault huh?" I asked making him turn his head towards me.

"If his head wasn't so far up Allison's ass then he could focus on controlling this stupid thing. You wouldn't be left in a broken down house with psycho Derek, Lydia wouldn't be out of her mind on anti-anxiety pills and my dad…my dad wouldn't be in here." Stiles said forcefully and I nodded my head. I pursed my lips together showing him that I wasn't trying to argue but he just huffed turning his body towards me.

"I take it you disagree?" He asked annoyed.

"I don't want to fight with you, Stiles. I know being told something happened to your dad must have been terrified. I've been through it a few times myself. I just don't think Scott is the bad guy in all of this." I said hearing how exhausted I sounded. Stiles looked at my face and shook his head before jumping off the couch. He walked over to the sink and wet a napkin before sitting back down next to me.

"Scott needs to understand that Allison's got plenty of family to protect her. We are ultimately defenseless against this stuff. He needs to watch our backs, protect us or we're going to die. We don't have super healing." Stiles said wiping the soot off my face.

"Scott isn't untouchable either. He can die too, just not as easily as we could. We can't expect him to be everywhere at one time. Like tonight, he couldn't be helping you, saving me and protecting your dad all at once. He has to make choices that you and I will never be able to understand. Choices that change lives and kill him a little every time he makes them because he knows someone is going to get hurt." I tried to explain as Stiles threw the napkin away.

"Well he needs to make better ones." Stiles said through gritted teeth. I ran my hand through my hair and pulled my knees up to my chest as I sat on the couch.

"I understand you're upset with him and you have every right to be but please don't put me in the middle. I need you both right now and the thought of having to somehow choose makes my chest hurt." I said rubbing my chest. He frowned at me and nodded.

"I really am sorry I ditched you." He mumbled.

"It's not the first time you've forgotten about me because of Lydia Martin." I teased poking his stomach and he looked almost like I shocked him with my finger.

"I-it wasn't like that. I was just checking up on-" I cut Stiles off with my hand.

"It's really okay. It's not like it was a date or anything. It was just lunch. Besides, Derek helped me realize a few things I wasn't paying attention to before." Stiles moved looking uncomfortable at the mention of Derek.

"Just promise me you won't go off and get hurt. I don't think I'll be able to handle being in this hospital anymore then I already have." Stiles said and I put my hand on his.

"I promise." I leaned my head on his shoulder.

**[Stiles's POV]**

The doctor brought my dad back about an hour after his test and said he had a deep tissue bruise all the way down to his spine and that he would need to take it easy for a few days. Of course the only thing dad was worried about was getting back to work which they cleared him for but I think the relief made Maggie pass out because she was fast asleep laying across my lap not even 20 minutes later. I was practically cradling her in my lap with her head and arm resting on my chest but it was nice. She wasn't heavy at all so I was surprisingly comfortable. I tried not to think about how this was the second girl today to be passed out in my lap because it made me think about Lydia's plan to take Maggie down. I just hoped deleting that email she had on her phone would do the trick.

"I'm proud of you kiddo." I jumped slightly hearing my dad's voice. I thought maybe he was asleep but he was still in and out.

"For what?" I asked confused.

"For mending things with Maggie. Your mom would be proud of you." Dad said making me feeling guilty. I shook my head and looked down at Maggie as she slept soundlessly.

"It doesn't make up for the things I did before." I said quietly.

"Look at that girl, do you see how much she cares about you? How safe she feels? You gave her that son. Don't hold onto the bad stuff." Dad said shifting as much as he could in his bed. If my dad was in a different situation I would wish to stay like this forever. Just sitting here, holding onto Maggie and protecting her from all the crap outside these four walls but I knew I couldn't.

"Get some sleep dad." I whispered putting my feet up on the chair in front of me so I could kick back and get some rest myself. Dad was out like a light within a few minutes and I rested my head on the back of the couch trying to get some sleep myself.

I don't know how long I had drifted off for but it didn't feel long when my eyes snapped open. The little bit of weight that Maggie put on my lap wasn't there anymore and I saw that she was gone. I looked over and saw the bathroom light on. I rubbed at my eyes and stretched before closing my eyes again. The door to the bathroom opened and I heard Maggie's foot shuffling across the floor but she didn't sit back down. I opened my eyes to let her know it was okay to lay back down but she was standing next to my dad's bed. I was about to say something but she moved his gown off his back to reveal the insane bruise on his back from the impact. Even I was taken aback by it. She reached her hand out and placed it gently on the bruise making Dad move slightly.

"Blood rises to the skin, take away the pain he's in." She mumbled aloud. I furrowed my brows watching her focus on the words as she moved her hand down the bruise and repeated what she had said previously until she had covered the entire area. She finally pulled her hand away and fixed the back of the gown before letting out a sigh. I wasn't sure what she was doing but I closed my eyes before she turned back around. She walked back over and to where I was and ran her fingertips over my cheek.

"If only I could take away all your worries." She whispered and I opened my eyes slowly, pretending I was waking up. She gave me a small smile before lying back down on the opposite end of the couch. I cleared my throat before tugging on her arm letting her know it was okay to resume her previous position in my lap and she moved to do so resting her head on my chest again but when she placed her hand on my chest it felt strangely warmer than any other part of her body. It was the same hand she had put on my dad. Something didn't make sense but I knew now was not the time to bring up what Lydia had found. I just had to keep telling myself that if Maggie had a secret that big then she would have told me…right?


	11. Comes Back Around

**[Maggie's POV]**

We finally got John home Saturday morning and the spell seemed to have worked but the bruise still put on a good show. Stiles followed him around like a shadow and constantly asked me if he should be bouncing back so quickly but I tried to play it off. Stiles also had been avoiding any and all contact with Scott which was starting to drive me crazy. He had actually hung up on Scott's mom once when he saw the phone number on the caller ID. Stiles hated that I was keeping Scott filled in on what was going on with John but I had explained to Stiles plenty of times that I wasn't going to be put in the middle. I was currently sitting in the living room reviewing a practice exam I gave Isaac when Stiles phone started going off again. He glanced at it and tossed it back on the table ignoring it. It was Scott's afternoon call. He called every day without fail.

"Do you really think ignoring him is going to make the situation any better?" I asked not even bothering to look up at him.

"No but it'll make me feel better knowing he's friendless- oh wait he's not because you still want to be friends with him after he got my dad run over." Stiles said cutting his eyes at me as I rolled my eyes.

"That's not fair Stiles so please stop trying to guilt trip me into not talking to Scott. I care about both of you and I love your dad like he was my own but let's just be glad he's home safe." I said trying to settle things but Stiles huffed.

"Yeah for how long?" He muttered but judging by the face he made he knew that I heard him. I wouldn't ever pull the orphan card on Stiles but right now I felt like his fear was making him pretty ungrateful.

"Forget it. Hold a grudge and hate him but don't make me feel like I don't care about your dad because I won't do the same." I got up from the chair and just before Stiles could say something my phone went off. I looked at the screen and saw Scott's name.

"I'm sorry I keep doing that to you. I know how you feel and I'll try to stop." Stiles said putting his hand on my arm. I gave him a smile before patting his hand and walking out of the room.

"Hey, what are you up to on this oh so boring Sunday?" I asked answering the phone.

"I'm heading to the grocery store for my mom. Want to come with?" Scott asked sounding hopeful.

"Sure let me just grab some shoes and a jacket." I said hearing a honk out front.

"I'll be waiting." Scott chuckled. I peeked out of the window and saw him in his mom's car.

"Stalker status, McCall." I said before hanging up the phone. I grabbed my shoes and purse before walking back downstairs to see Stiles staring out the window.

"Glaring from a far now? That's mature." I startled Stiles and he pulled his hoodie off the rack.

"Where are you going?" He asked handing me the hoodie.

"Just to the store. I'll grab something for dinner while I'm out." I said putting the hoodie on.

"Don't worry about me, I'll get something myself." He said opening the door.

"Hey." I grabbed his arm and he frowned.

"Be careful." Was all he said before slipping out of my grip and sulking up the stairs. I left the house and rode to the store with Scott. As we walked the store and talked about how I healed John, making him feel a little at ease. He kept shaking his head.

"What's wrong?" I asked riding on the end of the basket while he pushed it.

"You smell like Stiles. Makes me kind of miss him." Scott said with a frown. I smelled the jacket and didn't smell anything but I guess I had become accustom to how he smelt by now.

"He'll come around Scott. Just give him some time." I said putting frozen pizza and popsicles in the basket. He nodded at me and then laughed.

"What's so funny?" I asked confused.

"I'm just waiting for you to tell me that you two finally decided to date. You know I wouldn't care. I'm fully supporting Staggie." Scott said making me furrow my eyebrows.

"Staggie? What the hell is Staggie?" I asked jumping off the basket.

"It's your ship name. That or Magiles. It's something Allison and I were talking about the other day." Scott waved his hand around and I had to laugh at him. Only Allison would have Scott learning what ships were.

"Well I hate to burst your bubble but no matter how close Stiles and I get he'll always be in love with Lydia." I sighed throwing in a box of popcorn.

"Who knows maybe he'll start to fall in another direction." Scott smirked at me.

"Don't be a dork. Speaking of significant others, how are you and Allison doing? I know you both are grounded but I'm sure you've managed to sneak around that." I teased.

"It's actually going really well…like REALLY well." Scott said and I waved my hands for him to stop.

"I'm the girl best friend. I don't want to hear things to that extent. I am glad things are good though. Allison is a great girl." I smiled at him and saw the blush in his cheeks.

"Aw who knew wolves could blush." I pinched his cheek and he swatted at my hand.

"Shut up." He couldn't hold back the smile on his face as we walked to the next aisle.

"So what about you and that Isaac kid, anything there?" He asked me and I shrugged.

"I don't know. He sort of asked me out but told me that he'd wait until things started to calm down." I explained.

"Do I need to lay the law down on this kid?" Scott asked playfully and I rolled my eyes.

"Only if you want me to have the sex talk with Allison." I teased making Scott blush again.

"I beg you not to." He said with raised eyebrows. We continued to talk until we checked out and walked out into the parking garage carrying what we had bought but in the midst of discussing possibly baking for Stiles forgiveness, Scott stopped.

"What level did we park on?" He asked looking around.

"I'm not sure. Let's try another level up." I suggested walking back into the stairwell and heading up two more flights of steps. We reached the fourth floor and started walking around aimlessly looking for the car.

"Use the alarm on the car." I suggested and Scott put the bags down to pull the keys out of his pocket. He hit the button and his ears perked up.

"It's up another level." Scott sighed. One of the shampoo bottles rolled out of his bag and I pointed to it making him run to retrieve it. He stopped dead in his tracks and started moving backwards.

"Take the keys, get in the car and get out of here." Scott said thrusting the keys at me.

"What? What's going on?" I asked suddenly but a growl sent a shiver up my spin.

"RUN!" Scott yelled as I ran for the stairwell and started to run down the garage. I climbed the stairs as quickly as I could and bolted through the door, not stopping for anything as I continuously hit the unlock button on the car. I finally reached it and tossed the groceries in the back before starting it up and hearing more alarms a few levels down.

"Scott." I said to myself as I started the car up and backed out of the space. I drove down each level and kept an eye out for him but as I reached the bottom levels I saw him and Derek walking together. I pulled over and jumped out.

"YOU SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME!" Scott yelled at him.

"That was you?" I asked and Derek pursed his lips together.

"You shouldn't have come down here. You can't fight the alpha. Hell Scott isn't even ready for that." Derek said as if I had failed some sort of test.

"But I was fast wasn't I?" Scott said.

"Not fast enough." Derek said simply.

"The car alarm thing was smart though." Scott said gesturing behind him.

"Until your phone went off." Derek said not even bother to stop walking as he walked right past me in the car.

"Yeah but that was…I mean…WOULD YOU JUST STOP!? PLEASE!?" Scott yelled at Derek as they stood next to me now. Derek looked at him unimpressed as if he didn't want to actually stop and listen.

"What happened the other night, Stiles dad getting hurt…that was my fault!" Scott said and I sighed.

"Scott-" I started but he shook his head.

"No! I should have been there to stop it. I need you to teach me how to control this." He said looking at Derek.

"Look, I am what I am because of birth. You were bitten. Teaching someone who was bitten takes time. I don't even know if I can teach you." Derek said shaking his head.

"What do I need to do then?" Scott practically pleaded.

"You need to cut out distractions." He reached for Scott's phone in his hand and held it up.

"You see this? This is why I caught you. You want me to teach you, get rid of her." Derek said. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know Allison was probably the one who called Scott.

"What because of her family?" Scott asked confirming my suspicion. Derek chuckled and held up the phone again before practically pitching it against the concrete wall.

"DEREK!" I shouted.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Scott was stunned Derek shattered his phone.

"Are you getting angry? That's your first lesson. You want to learn how to control this, how to shift? You do it through anger by tapping into a primal animal rage and YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITH HER AROUND!" Derek shouted and I felt like I needed to step between them and break them up as Scott's face started to sink.

"I can get angry." Scott said through gritted teeth.

"NOT ANGRY ENOUGH! This is the only way I can teach you so can you stay away from her? At least until the full moon." Derek asked and Scott glanced down at his feet.

"I-If that's what it takes." Scott sputtered out giving himself away pretty quickly.

"DO YOU WANT TO LIVE? DO YOU WANT TO PROTECT YOUR FRIENDS, YES OR NO?" Derek shouted at Scott gesturing towards me.

"Hey! I can protect myself thank you very much." I spoke up finally but earned a death glare from Derek.

"YES! If you can teach me then I can stay away from her." Scott said breathing easy. Derek eyed him before nodding his head. There was an uneasy tension like all three of us knew that Scott wasn't going to keep his word.

"We should really get the groceries home." I spoke up breaking the silence. Derek walked away from the two of us and Scott got into the car looking uneasy. I didn't say anything because I knew he was upset.

"He broke my phone. My mom is going to kill me." Scott mumbled.

"What are you going to do about Allison?" I asked out of curiosity.

"I don't know but I have to let her know why I didn't call her back right? I mean as her boyfriend that would be the right thing to do." Scott sputtered out and I rolled my eyes.

"If you're already breaking Derek's rules then go ahead and drop me off. I'm not going down with you." I said with a chuckle. Scott bit his lip as he drove towards Stiles house.

"Do you think Derek's right? Do you think staying away from Allison will help me learn to control this?" Scott asked as he pulled up to the house.

"I think this is only the second or third time that you've had to deal with the full moon and sometime apart to learn how to control the wolf won't kill you…or anyone else for that matter. Look at it this way, you two aren't supposed to be around each other right now anyway because of the whole grounding thing. Respect her parent's wishes and don't piss your mom off in the process. Win-win." I explained. Scott nodded his head and kept his eyes steadily forward.

"You're right. It's just temporary. It's not like we have to stay apart forever." Scott sounded like he was trying to convince himself and I cocked my eyebrow at him.

"You're going over there aren't you?" I asked and he looked at me.

"Yeah I was going to stop by. It's not too far." He said making me laugh. Scott was so in love with Allison but I knew he hadn't actually admitted it to himself yet.

"Goodnight Scott. Stay out of trouble." I grabbed the bags from the back and waved at Scott as he pulled away from the house. I forgot I didn't have a key to the house and texted Stiles to let me in but a rustle in the bushes made me turn around quickly.

"Derek…is that you?" I called out thinking he might have followed us. I saw a red glowing and had to rub my eyes thinking maybe I was seeing things. Before I could investigate more the door opened quickly and I jumped.

"Sorry I just got out the shower. Why are you so jumpy?" Stiles asked holding a towel around his neck.

"Derek is starting Scott's training or whatever and has me on edge." I rubbed at my neck and Stiles huffed.

"Yeah because Derek's the model werewolf." Stiles let me in the house.

"Your attitude hasn't improved but you do smell nice. I got frozen pizza and popsicles for you but if they aren't going to improve your mood than why bother?" I said walking into the kitchen to put the groceries away.

"I'm sorry I'm trying not to take it out on you and I actually have a surprise to make up for being miserable this weekend." Stiles extended his hand. I eyed it before taking it and letting him lead me up the stairs. I was still on and off again sleeping on the couch but John and I had made a compromise about the room. Stiles opened the door to the room and all I saw were sheets pinned to the walls.

"What did you do?" I asked ducking to go into the room to see he had covered it in pillows.

"I moved mom's things into the attic and all the free space reminded me of when we would make those forts on rainy days. You always said a fort could make you feel at home no matter where you were so…viola." Stiles said with a smile.

"Is your dad going to be upset that you moved your mom's things? I feel like such an intruder right now." I said biting my lip and Stiles shook his head sitting down on the pillows.

"Maggie, we want you here and if we can make some much needed changes to keep you here then we will. Dad said it was a great idea. The fort was my idea, now come down here and enjoy it with me." Stiles put his arm out and I smiled. I lay down next to him and rested my head on his arm.

"I kind of want to say something but I don't want to sound like a jerk." Stiles said with a sigh. I turned my head and looked at him encouraging him to say what was on his mind.

"I know you've been really worried about Karen and Louis but I've loved waking up knowing you were just a few feet away." Stiles said looking down at me.

"Being here with you has actually helped me get through it. I feel safe when I'm with you." I admitted staring back at him. He smiled before pulling his arm up and making me roll into his side. I rested my hand on his chest as he pulled me into a hug.

We fell asleep together just like that and didn't wake up until John came home and asked if he needed to go over the house rules about co-ed sleep arrangements. That night I slept in the guest room for the first time without any problems. I was starting to feel at home in the Stilinski house.

**[Scott's POV]**

After dropping Maggie off, I knew I had to see Allison one last time before I went on MIA. Somehow that turned into us fooling around on her bed. She got me out of my shirt but when I finally got her bra off someone knocked at the door. We both went into panic mode as she jumped up and started to shove me in the closet.

"Uh just a second." She said to whoever was at the door.

"Allison?" It was Kate Argent. Now I stood in the dark closet with no shirt on, unbuckled pants and a raging boner that I pleaded with to disappear. I heard Allison's heart beating quickly as she opened the door, not even bother to put her bra back on.

"Hey." She greeted her aunt.

"Hey, what's up?" Kate asked her.

"Uh nothing just doing homework, sending emails." Allison covered sitting down at her computer.

"Emailing the boyfriend?" Kate asked.

"No, emailing PETA about how my left wing father gun down an innocent mountain lion in the school parking lot." Allison said making me smile. She was still pretty ticked off with her dad but I think it was mostly because of the grounding and not because he shot the mountain lion.

"Are you sure it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that you're grounded and can't see Scott?" Kate asked and the more she said my name the more I felt like she could feel me in the room.

"I'm not going to be one of those whining teenagers who looks at her father and says I hate you, I wish you were dead." Allison said.

"But?" Kate asked.

"But…I hate him and wish he was dead." Allison said clearly joking. I knew she was close with her dad but he could be pretty strict on her.

"See now you're starting to sound like a normal angry teenager." Kate laughed. Allison glanced back at me and her heartbeat skipped.

"What are you working on? Can I help?" Kate asked.

"Uh a history project and I just want to be left alone actually." Allison said making me nod.

"Ah come on, what kind of history project?" Kate pushed.

"I have to come up with a report that has some relevance to my own family history." Allison explained.

"Specific to your family?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, why? Do you have any ideas?" Allison asked and I felt like she completely forgot that I was in the closet at this point as Kate sat down next to her.

"Type this in: La Bete Du Gevaudan." Kate said and Allison typed it in.

"What is this?" Allison asked.

"It's an old French legend that believe it or not has something to do with your family." Kate said and Allison read what was on the screen.

"Mysterious animal attacks just like that in a certain town called Beacon Hills." Kate explained.

"Well what was it...the animal?" Allison looked at me through the door.

"Nobody knows for sure but it definitely wasn't a mountain lion. What does it look like to you?" Kate asked her but I couldn't see past her to look at the picture.

"It looks like…a wolf." The moment those words came out of Allison's mouth I knew Derek was right. I would need to distance myself if I wanted to learn to control this or one day Allison would be hunting me. By the time Kate left the room, the mood was officially killed. I put my shirt and jacket back on before Allison could even apologize for the interruption. I told her not to worry about it before climbing out of the window. I glanced back at her and she smiled before I hopped down into the yard. She waved at me as I started for the car and I actually felt some accomplishment that I got her out of her bra tonight. However the pride was replaced by fear when I heard the leaves shaking on the side of the house.

"Derek? I know I would stay away but you broke my phone. I had to at least tell her why I wasn't answering." I walked towards the growling and stopped when he didn't respond.

"Derek?" I said again but the moment I saw red eyes I knew what it was. I booked it to the car, fumbling with the keys but getting in before he could get to me. I knew if he really wanted to he could just rip the car apart but I was too frozen to move. I watched him move around the car as my breath fogged the windows up. He walked right up to my window and drew a spiral on the condensation before disappearing altogether. I started the car and sped home, actually running from the driveway into the house just to be safe and locked my door. I ran up to my room and did the same thing, including shutting the window and locking it. When I turned my light on I saw Derek sitting in a chair next to my bed making me jump.

"You seriously need to stop doing that!" I said as he sat there motionless.

"So what happened? Did he talk to you?" Derek asked me.

"Yeah we had a nice conversation about the weather. NO HE DIDN'T TALK!" I shouted at him. Why would the alpha just come out of the bushes in full on wolf mode to talk to me?

"Well did you get anything off of him…an impression?" Derek pressed.

"What do you mean?" I was confused and Derek was growing annoyed.

"Remember your other senses are heightened. Communication doesn't have to be spoken. What kind of feeling did you get?" He explained standing up.

"Anger." I said thinking about how he stalked me at the car.

"Focused on you?" He asked.

"No not me but it was definitely anger. I could feel it. Especially when he drew the spiral." I explained and Derek seemed stunned.

"Wait the what? What did you just say?" He asked sounding actually curious.

"He drew the spiral on my car, in the condensation on my window. Like the one on Maggie's necklace." As I explained Derek's face turned to what looked like fear almost.

"What? What is it? You have this look like you know what it means." I said but Derek snapped out of it.

"It's nothing." Derek bypassed me and went for the door.

"Wait a second, you can't do that. You can't ask me to trust you and not tell me what you know. Does the spiral mean something?" I pushed.

"It doesn't mean anything." He started to unlock the door.

"You buried your sister under a spiral. What does it mean, Derek?" I asked as he sighed.

"You don't want to know." He put his hand on my shoulder in a comforting manner but that only made me more creeped out. He opened the door and turned back to me.

"Stay close to Maggie." He added and I followed him out of the room.

"Wait, why? Do you think the spiral has something to do with her? Is she in danger?" I asked and Derek shook his head.

"Until we figure out the connection, everyone is in danger. Just keep an eye on her." Derek insisted as he walked out of my house. I locked the door back up and made my way back upstairs to my bed. I knew sleeping wasn't really an option right now with all the things rolling around in my head. I had to avoid Allison, protect Maggie, figure out a way to get Stiles to forgive me and try not to let the Alpha tear me to shreds. I honestly didn't know which one sounded more difficult at this point. I got to school the next day and didn't feel prepared at all.

"Stay away from Allison, stay away from Allison." I repeated under my breath as I started towards my homeroom. I got up the small set of stairs and there she was. I did a 180 and went back down the stairs saying the same mantra over and over again but as I walked in the other direction I managed to almost run smack into Jackson.

"Stay away from Jackson, stay away from Jackson." I turned down the other hallway and only got about 10 steps.

"Hey Scott!" Lydia's voice called out and I turned around.

"Oh come on!" I broke out into a run and ran all the way to my class. The first person I saw was Stiles who eyed me but immediately started to glare before looking back at his phone in his hand. I walked over to sit behind him and sat down.

"Still not talking to me?" I asked knowing he probably wouldn't respond, which he didn't.

"Can you at least tell me if your dad's okay? It's just a bruise right? Maybe some soft tissue damage?" I asked hearing him sigh.

"You know how he's doing because Maggie insists on not shunning you despite the fact that you deserve it." He spat still not turning around to look at me.

"You know I feel like really bad about it then." I added but he shook his head. I leaned forward on the desk defeated.

"What if I told you that I'm trying to figure this whole thing out and that I went to Derek for help?" I said trying to show him how desperate I was.

"If I was talking to you, I'd say you're an idiot for trusting him but obviously I'm not talking to you." Stiles said right before the bell rang. I started to pull out my notebook and pen figuring I'd leave him alone but he spun around abruptly.

"What did he say?" Stiles asked and I couldn't help but smile.

**[Stiles's POV]**

Scott explained to me how Derek wanted him to stay away from Allison to learn how to deal with his wolf but the first lesson seemed ridiculous.

"He wants you to tap into your animal side and get angry?" I asked baffled.

"Yeah." Scott confirmed.

"Well correct me if I'm wrong but every time you do that you try to kill someone, someone usually being me." I pitched.

"I know but I have to be able to control it and protect Maggie at the same time." Scott sighed.

"How is he going to teach you to do that?" I asked confused.

"I don't know, I don't think he does either." Scott admitted.

"When is he meeting you?" I pushed.

"He said not to talk about and to just get through the day-" I hit his arm.

"Dude…" I looked at him and he stopped walking.

"He's picking me up after work." Scott said and I ran down my plans in my head.

"Maggie and I were supposed to study at lunch but I'm sure she'll probably want to help so I have until the end of the school day." I said rubbing my head.

"To do what?" Scott asked confused.

"To teach you myself but first we need to stop by Mag's locker to let her know what the deal is." I said adjusting my backpack on my shoulder. Scott walked next to me grinning and I rolled my eyes.

"Just because I'm helping you doesn't mean I'm not mad at you. I'm strictly doing this because I don't want Maggie getting hurt." I explained.

"I kind of figured that. She smells like you now. She also seems a lot calmer since you two made up." Scott said.

"Smells like me? I showered last night before we went to bed." I smelled my shirt and Scott went bug eyed.

"We went to bed…did you and Maggie sleep together?" Scott asked gripping my arm.

"Well yeah…I mean no…I mean she fell asleep on me in the guest room." I tried to explain but Scott looked like a deer in the headlights.

"Just forget it! Still mad at you, no details about my private life." I scolded him and he just put his hands up. As we turned the corner there seemed to be a crowd growing near Maggie's locker.

"What's going on?" I asked pushing through people to get to Maggie. When we got far enough through the crowd I saw Maggie standing in front of her locker which now had the word WITCH spray painted down it in red paint.

"Maggie what happened?" I ran to her and she just shook her head.

"I-I don't know. It was fine this morning…who would do this?" Maggie looked at Scott fighting tears.

"Well it looks like people finally know the truth about you." Lydia's voice came through the crowd and I felt my heart rate pick up.

"Why would you do this Lydia?" Scott asked sounded utterly disgusted with her.

"I felt that the students of Beacon Hills High should know what kind of freaks walk this hall." Lydia smirked at Maggie as a crowd started to form.

"I'll show you a freak." Maggie pushed past Scott and I but we held her back.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Wouldn't want people to think you're a bad witch, would you?" Lydia taunted her and Maggie struggled against us.

"This is low, even for you but it doesn't matter." Maggie said confidently.

"I think it does matter Maggie Stevens, daughter of Anna Stevens who is one of the four of some creepy coven." We all froze when Lydia blasted Maggie's real name into the crowd of people.

"Lydia…don't." I pleaded but she didn't take her eyes off of Maggie.

"Your whole family gets butchered for being witches and you thought it would just be okay to start going to school here because you changed your name? As if that would somehow change the fact that you come from a creepy cult family. This is my school honey and I'm not going to let some freak show bring her bad juju back here to have us all killed." Lydia shouted and I could feel Maggie shaking.

"THAT'S ENOUGH LYDIA!" Scott yelled making everyone jump. Jackson and Danny walked up to see what was going on.

"Come on, Maggie." I put my arm around her and she leaned into me but Lydia jumped towards us.

"Thanks for all your help, Stiles. I couldn't have done it without you." Lydia kissed my cheek and for a moment I was shocked that Lydia Martin actually put her lips on me but when Maggie pulled away from me I snapped out of it.

"What?" She asked looking confused and pained.

"Well if it weren't for Stiles telling me your real name I wouldn't have had a clue what you were hiding. Now everyone knows who you really are." Lydia crossed her arms over her chest and I felt heat rise to my cheeks.

"Maggie…I can explain." I said putting my hands out.

"Dude…" Scott said as Maggie stood staring at me with a range of emotions crossing over her face.

"You…told her? How could you do that?" She looked hurt but pissed at the same time.

"Do us all a favor and leave town before we all end up cursed." Lydia turned around to face Jackson and Maggie's head snapped sideways running at her and gripping her hair. Lydia started screaming and Jackson shoved Maggie backwards trying to get her to let go.

"HEY!" I shoved Jackson back and he went for me but Scott jumped in front of me. Danny managed to hold Jackson back and I tried to help Maggie but she let out a scream so loud it actually shook the lockers.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Her face was red, chest heaving and her body was shaking but it was her eyes that gave it away. Her eyes were black like a demons eyes would be.

"M-Maggie?" I said unsure of what was going on but it would seem that Lydia's findings were true. I still couldn't believe it but I was staring right at her and didn't even recognize her. Scott picked Maggie up and ran out of the crowd down the hallway. It took a minute for the shock to wear off before my feet carried me down the hallway in the direction Scott ran in but when I finally saw him he put a hand on my chest stopping me.

"Where is she?" I asked looking over his shoulder.

"We need to talk." Scott said firmly. I followed him out towards the field and he was completely silent until we were away from everyone else.

"How could you tell Lydia the truth about Maggie's name? You know her dad could find her if Lydia goes blasting that all over the school! She won't be safe here." Scott started in on me and I shook my head.

"Is it true?" I asked confused.

"What?" Scott seemed caught off guard by the question.

"Maggie's family? They're all witches? She's a…" I asked and Scott looked at his feet.

"It's not my place to-" I cut Scott off.

"Don't give me that shit, Scott! She's my best friend too!" I yelled.

"It's not something she's proud of. She's a 15 year old girl born into something she can't control. Look what happened to the rest of her family because of it." Scott threw his arms out.

"She told you! Why couldn't she tell me? I was the one that had to convince you that you were a werewolf and she thought I couldn't handle this?" I called Scott out and he shook his head.

"She's terrified man. We're all she has left and the thought of losing us sends her into a spiraling panic attack. If she thought for a second that you knowing about what she is would put you in danger then of course she'd hide it." Scott explained. I tried to wrap my head around what Scott was telling me but I couldn't.

"I can't even believe this." I sat down on the bleachers and Scott sat next to me.

"You believe in werewolves but you don't believe in witches?" Scott asked.

"No I can't believe that both of my best friends have seemingly cool supernatural abilities but turn out to be completely life ruining. It doesn't seem like this in the movies." I said honestly. Scott shrugged.

"I guess they leave out the part where they have to give up the ones they love to protect them or live with the guilt of losing them more permanently." Scott said making me look over at him.

"How am I going to fix this one?" I asked Scott but he just frowned.

"I'm not even sure you can." He said putting a hand on my shoulder as I buried my face in my hands.

**[Maggie's POV]**

Scott had taken me to the library trying to find a quiet place to have a meltdown but it didn't work. I was so upset I wanted to cry and break things at the same time. I didn't understand how Stiles could do something so careless. How was I supposed to live in Beacon Hills with everyone looking at me like I was a danger to society? Could I even continue to live here? I tried to breathe through my emotions but was startled when someone put a hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry…I just…I just wanted to see if you were okay?" I turned to see Erica standing there looking terrified.

"Not at all actually but thanks for asking I guess." I tried to brush her off but she continued to stand there with her arms wrapped around her frame.

"I know we barely know each other but I wanted to thank you for what you did the other day. If it weren't for you that kid would have broken my teeth." Erica said.

"Well kids are stupid. I'm sorry you have those seizures. Are they really painful?" I asked curiously realizing just talking about someone else's problems was taking my mind off of the situation.

"Sometimes, not really though. They're more embarrassing than anything." Erica looked down at the carpet in the library and I shrugged.

"You shouldn't feel embarrassed about something you can't control. People fear what they don't understand and act out accordingly. It only makes them look stupid." I pointed out and she frowned.

"Like posting a video on YouTube of me seizing and peeing myself." Erica said. That infuriated me. How could people be so insensitive?

"Wow…I'm so sorry Erica. That really..." I slammed my hand down on the table to show how frustrating it was but the moment my hand made contact to the table I latched.

_It was Stiles in the library with Lydia.  
"The funny thing is everyone acts like she's some innocent little new girl when the truth is she's no more new to Beacon Hills than me." Stiles glared at something as Lydia looked over at him._

_"What do you mean? I've already looked in the old year books and there's no Maggie Carter in there." She explained to him but he snorted._

_"Of course it's not in there. She changed her last name when she came back. Not to mention her entire look. She's definitely not the Maggie Stevens I grew up with." Stiles said shaking his head and turning to look at Lydia who was standing dangerously close to him._

_"Maggie Stevens huh?" She smiled at him and he gave a nervous laugh._

I pulled out of the moment and Erica looked concerned as I started to breathe heavy again.

"I didn't mean to upset you by that comment. I was just saying what I thought. Lydia just spreads rumors like that if she feels like someone is threatening her status. I'll just leave you alone now." Erica backed away and I looked at her.

Before I could apologize for freaking out she was already out of the library. My blood was boiling and my heart was pounding so loudly that I thought I could actually hear it for a minute. I wasn't going to sit in the library and cool off like Scott wanted me to, especially after that flash. I pushed through the doors and stormed down the hallway until I saw Scott and Stiles sitting on the bleachers on the field. I walked through the locker room and grabbed the bag of lacrosse balls before heading out to the field. Stiles sat with his head in his hands but Scott hit his arm as I approached getting him to look up.

"Maggie, I know you're upset right now-" I cut Stiles off as I gripped one of the lacrosse balls from the bag and threw it at him as hard as I could hitting him in the shoulder.

"UPSET!? YOU THINK I'M UPSET?! TRIED COMPLETELY FUCKING ENRAGED! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?" I screamed at him as I continued to pelt him with the lacrosse balls, missing the next two but nailing him in the thigh with the forth.

"I didn't mean to! I swear! OW!" Stiles yelped as I hit him in the shin.

"LIAR! I SAW IT! I SAW YOU WITH LYDIA! HOW COULD YOU BETRAY ME LIKE THAT?! JUST TO GET A FEW SECONDS OF ATTENTION FROM HER?!" I bellowed still throwing the balls. He tried to use Scott as a shield for a moment but I still managed to hit him.

"It wasn't like that! Can you please stop-OW- Come on!" Stiles begged as I started to run out of balls to throw.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE!? WHAT YOUR STUPID, BIG MOUTH HAS DONE?! DO YOU?!" I hit Stiles in the stomach and he hunched over in pain.

"Maggie, STOP!" Scott put his hand up as Stiles tried to catch his breath.

"M-Mags…I'm sorry." Stiles panted as he tried to straighten himself out.

"What the hell is going on out here?" Coach Finstock walked out onto the field and looked between us.

"You're right, Stiles. You are sorry...a sorry excuse for a friend." I threw one last ball and it hit him in the crotch making Scott and the coach cringe as Stiles hit the ground.

"Whoa, whoa as entertaining as that was, you can't just go around assaulting people with lacrosse balls. Trust me, I've asked repeatedly. Come with me, Carter." The coach gestured to me as I stormed past him.

"McCall…get Stilinski some ice." He said to him as I walked back into the school trying to fight tears. The moment I walked out into the hallway everyone was staring and whispering so I ducked back into the locker room running into the coach.

"Um…did you want to take a second? Maybe call someone to help you with…whatever?" He clearly didn't know what was going on but I sat down in the chair anyway. He gestured to the tissues before quickly exiting the office. I didn't know what to do. I sat in the chair trying to think of all the people I could even call at this point. My best friend betrayed me, my other best friend was helping him, and I had no family to turn to. There was only one person I knew to call. I picked up the phone trying to pull myself together as I dialed the number, unsure if he would even answer. I was surprised when the phone clicked like it was answered but Derek didn't say anything.

"Hey…it's me. Look I know I'm not your problem but something happened and I don't know what to do." I was crying and trying hard not to but I could her the huff of anxiousness on the other end of the line.

"What the hell happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Who did it?" Derek was panicked and I tried controlling my sobs.

"I'm not okay at all and I just really need you to come get me, please." I begged.

"I'm on the way, Maggie. Hold on. I'm on the way." I could hear Derek moving around as the line went dead. I let my tears fall as I spent the entire class period in the coach's office crying.

**[Stiles's POV]**

I limped into the lunchroom to sit down as Scott got me some much needed ice. I knew I deserved the pelting that Maggie gave me but I think seeing how hurt she was leaving the field hurt more than any of those lacrosse balls. Except for the one to my junk, that one hurt like a bitch.

"I just got two texts from Derek wanting to know what the hell was going on so something tells me that we're running out of time on this whole controlling my issue thing." Scott said handing me the ice.

"I guess there isn't much we can do about Maggie right now anyway." I winced sitting the ice on my crotch and seeing Scott chuckle.

"You are the worst human shield by the way. Thanks for nothing." I added.

"Maybe I felt like you deserved it? Plus it got some of her anger out so maybe now you guys can work through this. You can look at it like I sort of helped you out?" Scott said and I glared at him.

"Now I'm gonna help you out. Get some duct tape and meet me on the field, jackass." I said getting up from the table with the ice.

"Where are we going?" Scott trailed behind me curiously.

"To work on controlling your anger." I said tossing the ice in the trash. Scott met me on the field with the tape and I retrieved a few other things before gathering the balls that Maggie had just pelted at me not even an hour before to use against Scott.

"Put this on." I handed him the heart monitor.

"Isn't this one of the heart monitor's for the track team?" Scott questioned.

"Yeah I borrowed it." I said simply earning a look.

"Stole it." Scott corrected.

"Temporarily misappropriated, coach uses it to monitor his heart rate while he jogs and you're going to wear it for the rest of the day." I said pulling the phone out.

"Isn't that the coach's phone?" Scott asked.

"That I stole." I said plainly.

"Why?" Scott asked as I stretched out feeling the ache in my muscles.

"Alright, well your heart rate goes up when you go wolf right?" Scott nodded at me.

"When you're with Allison, when you play lacrosse, basically when you get angry. So maybe we can control it if we learn to control your heart rate." I explained seeing Scott's eyebrows raise.

"Like the Incredible Hulk." Scott said.

"Kind of like the Incredible Hulk." I confirmed.

"I'm like the-" I cut Scott off.

"Would you just shut up and put the thing on." I said rushing him. After we got the monitor on Scott, I duct taped his hands behind his back. Bruises were starting to form on my skin from earlier and Maggie kept invading my thoughts.

"Remember, don't get angry." I reminded him as I took a few steps away from him.

"I'm starting to think this might be a bad idea." Scott said as I picked the ball up.

"Didn't seem like a bad idea to you when Maggie was beaming me with them earlier." I said before throwing the first one straight at his abdomen. He doubled over and I watched the numbers go up two points.

"So what kind of a witch is Maggie exactly?" I asked.

"What? What are you-" Scott looked at me questioningly before I threw another at him barely missing.

"You heard me. She told you the truth so you must know about it. What kind of witch is she? Good, bad, what?" I asked again and Scott shook his head.

"Stiles, don't you think this is the wrong time OW!" Scott groaned as I caught him in the collarbone.

"Okay that hurt!" He said.

"Focus on your heart rate. Just stay calm." I said continuing to throw balls at him.

"Yeah, stay calm while you question me and take your anger out on me." Scott said as I missed the next two throws.

"You could just answer the question. It's not that hard. I could throw some comparisons at you. Is she like the witch from Narnia or more of a Samantha from Bewitched?" I asked but Scott didn't answer. I threw the ball and nailed him in the nuts.

"Son of a bitch!" Scott cried in pain.

"You know, I think my aim is actually improving." I said looking at Scott who seemed like he was getting pissed.

"I wonder why." He said with angst in his voice as the numbers jumped to 130.

"Hey now, don't get angry." I warned throwing three more balls and hitting him with two.

"I'm not getting angry." He gritted.

"Just tell me, does she do spells or not?" I asked again but he didn't answer. I hit him four more times before he hit the ground and started panting. I looked at the phone and realized he was on the verge of wolfing out.

"Scott…?" I said. His heart rate reached 161 as he pulled his hands apart to grip the ground. He mumbled something into the ground and I stepped closer.

"What?" I asked as the number started to go down the more he breathed.

"She's a healer. That's what kind of witch she is. I don't know anything other than that." He said making me sit back on my heels.

"Are you okay? I mean you started to change." I pointed out.

"It's the anger. You were right but the angrier I got, the stronger I felt." Scott explained.

"Okay well then Derek's right." I said regretting it.

"I can't be around Allison." Scott shook his head.

"Just because she makes you happy?" I questioned confused.

"No because she makes me weak." Scott said. I could tell he was torn just having let the words leave his mouth. I helped him up and we walked to Econ trying to figure out a way for him to be able to have Allison in his life without her finding out about his secret but the moment we walked in and saw Maggie sitting there I froze.

No one else would sit next to her and she had her arms wrapped tightly around her body, streaks down her puffy face with her eyes red from tears. She didn't look up from her binder that sat on the table until Scott and I moved to sit by her.

"Mags." I whispered and she shut her eyes tightly practically wishing me away. The bell rang and Allison sat down behind Scott. He was trying to blow her off while I practically pleaded for Maggie to just open her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Maggie. Please just look at me." I whispered again and she was mumbling to herself. Everyone jumped slightly when Coach slammed a book down.

"Who the hell…did someone change my attendance sheet or did I get another new student?" He held the sheet up and we all looked around at each other.

"Is there a…Anna Stevens in here?" Maggie's eyes opened up and Scott looked over at me. Maggie made a noise between a held back sob and a choke.

"Something to add Carter?" Coach brought attention to her and she jumped out of her chair and went for the door. I got up quickly and followed her out despite Coach yelling for me.

"It's going to be okay, Maggie. I promise I can fix this." I said chasing after her, grabbing her arm but she spun around and put her hand up signaling for me to stop but I was thrown into the lockers with a force that wasn't delivered by the end of her hand. I backed away on my hands looking up at Maggie who had tears streaming down her face.

"Stop talking to me. Nothing you can say right now will change the way I feel about you. S-stay away from me." She said putting her shaky hand down before running out of the school. I rubbed at my chest where the force had hit and wondered what the hell it was.

A beeping in my pocket snapped me out of what had just happened and I realized it was Scott's heart rate. Something was setting him off and it was rising quickly. I ran back in the room and saw Finstock in his face yelling about something but when I opened the door the monitor started to go down. Scott started to settle down even as Finstock finished his rant and I looked at him. Scott turned his head to glance over his shoulder and that's when I saw it. Allison had gripped his hand and ran her thumb over the top of it trying to reassure him that he wasn't a dumbass like Finstock was saying. I walked back in and ended up on the suicide laps list with Scott but I didn't care. I couldn't get my head off of what happened with Maggie. Scott said she was a healer but the pressure that was applied to my chest that threw me back didn't feel very healing. I spaced out the rest of the class until Scott and I were back in the hallway.

"We need to find Maggie. She must be completely broken up over whoever did that prank." Scott said starting towards the doors.

"It's her." I said making him stop.

"Her what?" Scott asked confused.

"Allison." I said but Scott still looked lost.

"Do you remember what you told me the night of the full moon? You were thinking about her, protecting her." I started to explain.

"Okay?" Scott was with me.

"Remember the night of the game where you said you could hear her voice on the field." I reminded him.

"Yeah I did." Scott said.

"Well that's what brought you back and why you didn't kill her in the locker room after the game." I said seeing him shrug.

"Yeah but that's not always true because every time I'm kissing her or touching her-" I cut him off.

"No no that's not the same. When you're doing that, you're just a normal hormonal teenager thinking about sex." I explained further seeing Scott grin.

"Stop thinking about it!" I hit his chest.

"Sorry." He apologized.

"Look, back in the classroom when Finstock was giving you the third degree you started freaking out. The moment she took your hand, your heart rate started to calm down. You think she's your weakness but really she's just your anchor." I told him and he nodded.

"You mean because I love her." Scott said.

"Exactly." I watched Scott's eyes grow wide.

"Did I just say that?" Scott asked aloud.

"Yes you did." I confirmed witnessing his realization.

"I'm totally in love with her." He said with a dopey smile.

"That's beautiful really but before you go off and write a sonnet can we please figure this out? I kind of have a relationship of my own to save." I said frustrated.

"Whoa- relationship?" Scott stopped me and I rolled my eyes.

"Come on!" I said hitting him again.

"Okay what's the plan?" Scott asked me. It was then that I realized I had no idea what the plan was.

"I have no idea." I admitted running my hand through my hair.

"Go find Maggie. You are no good to me if you can't focus." Scott said and I looked at him. He put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

"Just tell her the truth." Scott said before walking off.

He was right. All I had to do was explain to her how much she means to me and how I'd do anything to protect her. I walked out of the school trying to think about where she could possibly be. I figured I would check at home first and when I pulled up I saw Derek sitting out front. I got out and shook my head at him as he sat in his car. I opened the front door and ran upstairs to see Maggie packing her bags.

"What are you doing? You can't just go." I said with a sigh.

"You want me gone so badly then I'm gone." She said angrily putting her clothes in her bag.

"I don't want you gone! If you would just let me explain-" She spun around and looked at me.

"I ALREADY SAW!" She took a deep breath and calmed herself.

"I'm a witch Stiles. My family is or was full of them and someone decided that we are such a threat to society that it would be better to cut us up rather than to bother giving us a chance. Once Karen was killed, I became the last of the coven." She explained and I stepped towards her.

"You don't know that Karen is dead, Maggie. We'll find her and figure out a way to protect you." I said and she shook her head.

"Protect me? Stiles my only line of defense was the name change. I had a fresh start here and you ruined it. I don't know if it was because your hatred for me was so overwhelming or because your pathetic need for Lydia Martin's approval was blinding but it doesn't matter now. Now everyone knows. He'll find me and he'll finish what he started." She zipped her bag up.

"When I found out that Lydia was going to do that I tried to get her to change her mind. I swear Maggie. I begged her not to and tried to talk her out of it but it was too late. I would never want to put you in danger especially if it meant you getting hurt or leaving." I said quickly as she picked up the bag and tried to leave the room but I stepped in front of her.

"Move, I don't want to hurt you." She said looking down.

"No. Even after you managed to throw me into the lockers with your insane abilities, I'm standing here asking for you to stop and rethink this. You are my best friend and I care about you more than anything in the world. I made a mistake and I know that but I don't want to lose you again. Please don't go." I begged and she looked up at me with tears streaming down her face.

"You already lost me, Stiles." She pushed past me but this time it was her hand that touched me and not a strange force. I listened to her walk down the stairs and by the time I heard the door open and shut I got my feet work again. I got out of the door as Derek was loading her bags into the back.

"So that's it? You just leave. What am I supposed to tell my dad? That you felt like Derek Hale could protect you better than people you've known your whole life?" I asked bitterly fighting her leaving with Derek but more so just fighting her leaving at all. She looked at Derek before turning back to look at me.

"You betrayed me. Whether it was before or after we worked things out, you betrayed me. You knew what happened to my family and why I changed my name and you told Lydia anyway. Everything that we've been through since then doesn't even matter anymore. It's all a lie." She said firmly.

"No, it's not. Maggie please-" I pleaded but she cut me off.

"Yes it is…because for one second something in you didn't care if something horrible happened to me. For one second, something inside of you hated me so much that you'd rather me be dead than back home. Looks like you got your wish because just knowing that kills me." She said clearly pained. I felt tears well up in my own eyes as I tried to get words to leave my mouth.

"I'm so s-" She shook her head at me again.

"Don't tell me you're sorry. Don't bother. Just…forget about me. Just looking at you makes me wish I was dead." She walked to Derek's car and got in without even looking back at me. Derek pulled away from my house and I stood there feeling a loneliness that I hadn't felt since the day I ran to Maggie's house and found out with my own eyes that she had picked up and left without even saying goodbye.

"S-shit." I said leaning against the jeep feeling the pain in my chest like a truck with razor blades was running back and forth over me, taking my breath away. Something tells me that I wouldn't have survived the first goodbye. I pulled myself together enough to go back to the school and saw Scott waiting out front.

"How did it go?" He asked me but I just shook my head.

"Well she took off with Derek so I guess we have more time to focus on you." I explained seeing a look of pity from Scott.

"Just…don't okay? Let's focus on you. Do you have your keys?" I asked him and he rooted through his pockets pulling out his house keys. I adjusted them in his hand and he eyed me strangely.

"Okay good now whatever happens just try to think of Allison. Try to find her voice like you did at the game." Scott held his key up like I told him and I looked back at the black truck that had just parked not even a few minutes before I got out of my jeep. I took my keys out and took a deep breath looking at the sleek black truck and imagining it was Derek's stupid car before running my key down the side of it. I turned back and looked at Scott who looked like he needed a crane to pick up his jaw.

"Hey, hey dude what do you think you're doing to that truck, bro?!" I said loud enough for the guys to hear. The truck owner saw the scratch immediately.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" He yelled before approaching Scott with his friends. Scott really didn't stand a chance as the guys started to pummel him. I watched his heart rise and cringed as the three guys beat the hell out of him. In my head I could hear Maggie yelling how stupid an idea this was but I would have welcomed it. I would take her yelling at me opposed to her hating me and crying. Harris broke up the fight and drug Scott and I into detention which I thought was kind of stupid considering Scott was the one getting his ass kicked but questioning it only got me another detention.

We sat there in silence and I thought about how utterly crappy this day was. Maggie hated me and I was still on the fence with Scott but nothing weighed on my mind more than losing all the people I cared about.

"So you knew I would heal." Scott said cutting through the silence.

"Yup." I said simply.

"So you did that to help me learn." He said with a hint of a question in his tone.

"Yup." I said again.

"But partially to punish me." Scott added.

"Well yeah that was obvious just because Maggie hates me and wants nothing to do with me now doesn't mean I completely forgot you let my dad get run over." I said tapping my notebook.

"Look dude, you're my best friend and I can't have you being angry with me." Scott said making me realize how pathetic I must have sounded to Maggie.

"I'm not angry anymore but you have something Scott, whether you want it or not. You can do things that nobody else can do. So that means you don't have a choice anymore. It means you have to do something and I'll try and do whatever I can to help." I said looking over at him.

"I know and I wouldn't want it any other way." Scott extended his hand and I hit it shaking my head slightly. I was committing to being Scott's partner in crime but knew it wasn't a new promise. Scott would always be like a brother to me. If he needed me then I would be there no matter what.

**[Maggie's POV]**

I couldn't help myself from completely breaking down in Derek's passenger seat. He drove and stayed quiet as I blubbered just next to him. I didn't even notice he had parked the car until I finally looked up and saw him holding out a tissue. I had told him what had happened on the way to Stiles house to pack my bags and didn't say it was the wrong move but he looked as though he wanted to say something now.

"You can just drop me at the bus station. I won't bother you after that." I sniffled wiping my face.

"What's at the bus station?" He asked me and I shook my head.

"A bus to get me the hell out of this town. I need to get out of here before anyone else gets hurt because of me." I said finally collecting myself.

"How is running away going to fix that?" Derek asked and I looked over at him.

"If I'm not in Beacon Hills then he can't kill anyone to find me. He can just…leave them alone." I explained.

"Are you sure that's why you're leaving?" He asked and I slammed my hands down in my lap.

"Can you stop asking me questions and just say what's on your stupid mind." I demanded and Derek huffed.

"You're running away because someone you love hurt you and you can't be around him without feeling that pain but on the other hand you hope that running away hurts him in return so he can feel the pain that you're feeling right now." Derek explained it perfectly but I didn't want to let him know that. I shook my head and looked out of the window.

"Why do you think your father is the one who killed your family?" Derek asked out of the blue causing me to look at him once more.

"Because it's the only thing that makes sense…why would you even ask me that?" I asked confused.

"What is the significance to your family to that?" Derek asked pointing to my necklace that I covered with my hand.

"Where is this coming from Derek? I asked for your help, not to be questioned about my family." I said ready to get out of the car.

"Please just answer the question Maggie. I'm trying to help you." Derek said and I shook my head.

"Why? What do you even care so much Derek? Both of our families being slaughtered isn't really grounds for bonding so why give me a chance? Why even bother?" I questioned knowing it seemed pretty ungrateful considering how much he's actually helped me. Instead of yelling at me he just frowned reaching into the pocket of his jacket to pull something out. He stared at it before holding it out to me. I took it carefully and looked at it.

"Laura begged me not to come back to Beacon Hills. She told me that she had everything under control and that coming back would only make things more complicated." Derek said staring at his hands. It was a picture of his whole family it seemed. It was a bit ruined in some spots because of the fire but you could make out the faces of what looked like would be his parents as they stood proudly behind him and the girl Stiles and Scott dug up. They all had smiles, even Derek as they stood in front of the once beautiful mansion.

"When I didn't hear from her after a month I knew something was wrong. She wouldn't just stop communicating with me…not after…not after the fire. We were all we had left in the world so I knew something bad had happened." Derek explained further. I looked over at him and could actually feel his sadness.

"She knew…she knew about Kate. She knew and I didn't listen to her." Derek said and I knew why his angst weighed a ton. IT was completely ridden with guilt.

"It's not your fault, Derek. What she did to your family was horrible but she took advantage of you. That's still blood on her hands, not yours." I said honestly.

"If I were to tell you what happened to your family wasn't your fault, would you believe me?" Derek asked and I bit my lip.

"I didn't think so." He said taking the picture back.

"So you're helping me because we're two guilt ridden screw ups who keep failing at trying to protect the people we love? I guess I'll just rush out and get shirts made up." I joked not expecting a laugh but received one.

"You know when you say things like that you sound just like him." Derek said with a toothy smile.

"Like who?" I asked unsure of who he spoke of.

"Stiles." He said simply making the hint of a smile on my face drop. I didn't say anything to that comment but Derek looked over at me.

"You know you can't leave Beacon Hills. If your father _is_ looking for you then he'll kill them to find you." Derek said making me sigh.

"What Kate did to you made you not trust anyone right?" I asked and Derek narrowed his eyes at me.

"Stiles isn't Kate. Kate had motives when she approached me. You and Stiles had problems that you worked through." Derek said.

"It doesn't matter. It was a bunch of lies. Look how it ended." I said not trying to think about all the nice moments Stiles and I had for the past few weeks getting to know each other again.

"No matter how much you'd like to think you could be like me, you can't. You trust and that's a character flaw but you will never stop trusting people." Derek's words offended me.

"Screw you! You think not trusting anyone gives you some sort of advantage? Who kept that wolfsbane bullet from killing your ass? You wish you could say you don't trust anyone but you do depend on some people whether you like it or not." I spat at him and he sighed.

"It's my instinct to depend on some people. It's a pack thing and despite Scott being the only real option I have at a pack I'd really prefer not to have to depend on anyone." Derek explained.

"Scott's not the worst choice for someone to depend on." I defended and Derek cut his eyes at me.

"Really? Where was he when you were having a breakdown?" Derek challenged.

"He was with Stiles who is also his best friend so he's loyal. He has many good attributes and I'm sure the alpha knew that when he bit him." Derek snorted at me.

"It could just as easily been Stiles I'm sure. The bite is a gift when you know how to control it." Derek said leaning back in his seat.

"Some would say my powers are a gift too but so far I've been put on display as the town freak and saw my mom cut into pieces so excuse me if I don't agree on the whole gifts punch line." I said hearing Derek sigh.

"Scott asked me why I bothered caring about you too. Assumed it was because you reminded me of Laura which is a little true. You are stubborn and a total hardass like her but there's more to it than that." Derek said.

"Insanely witty and charming?" I joked but he looked at me with a serious face.

"I don't know what it is. It's like we have some sort of connection. My wolf wants to protect you and I don't know why." Derek explained and I just stared back at him.

"Maybe your wolf just knows that if you ever run into anti werewolf weapons that I could help you heal?" I suggested.

"Maybe it thinks you're my healer. Laura knew a healer in town and said he was helping her find…" Derek stopped talking and gazed off muttering to himself.

"That's it…the healer." Derek added starting the car back up.

"What is it?" I asked getting Derek to look at me.

"I think I know who can help us find the alpha. Are you with me?" Derek asked staring at me. I wasn't really sure what he was asking but I knew it wasn't just a literal question.

"Yeah I guess." I shrugged and he shook his head.

"Maggie, this guy wants to kill Scott and probably the rest of your friends. I need to know that you are in this with me. Even a healer can be a part of a pack. So I'll ask again, are you with me in this?" Derek asked again. I looked him directly in the eye and knew that it took a lot for Derek to just come out and ask me for his help.

"I'm with you." I said firmly. Derek put the car in gear and sped off out of the parking lot he had parked us in. I had no idea what Derek's plan was but if I could keep Scott and the others safe then I would do whatever it took. I had nothing more to lose at this point.


	12. Revelations in the Dark

**[Scott's POV]**

When we finally left detention, the only thing Stiles wanted to do was be alone. I could tell how hard this thing with Maggie was hitting him. Even after she launched about 2 dozen lacrosse balls at him without pads on he was still only thinking about making things right. I tried to get to work as quickly as I could so I could plead with Dr. Deaton not to fire me but something didn't smell right as I approached the building. I ran in just in time to see Derek holding Dr. Deaton off the ground as he was tied to a chair.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I yelled confused.

"SCOTT! GET OUT OF HERE!" Dr. Deaton yelled to me making Derek drop him and punch him in the face.

"STOP STOP!" I said catching Derek's attention.

"Look when he's conscious he can keep himself healing but unconscious he can't." Derek growled at me.

"Are you out of your mind?! What are you talking about?" I asked completely lost as to why Derek was beating my boss senseless.

"You want to know what the spiral means? It's our sign for a vendetta, for revenge. It means he won't stop killing until he's satisfied." Derek yelled at me.

"You think he's the alpha?" I asked incredulously. It was ridiculous to even think that Dr. Deaton knew anything about werewolves. He was a vet for crying out loud.

"Let's find out." Derek said letting his claws come out. I gripped his wrist before he could make contact and he looked at me shocked as I was able to use my anger at that very moment to pull my wolf out and growl a warning at him. He stepped back trying to figure out how I managed to learn control so quickly and without his help and I silently thanked Stiles in my head as I pulled my wolf back under control.

"Hit him again and you'll see me get angry." I threatened.

"Derek? Are you okay? I heard…" Maggie came in through the back door and I looked at her surprised.

"Maggie? What are you doing here?" I asked looking at her as she glanced over at Derek.

"She's with me." Derek spoke up.

"I- I didn't mean to interrupt. I just heard the growl and wanted to make sure everything was okay." Maggie said looking over at Dr. Deaton.

"I need your help." I waved Maggie over and she again looked at Derek before approaching me.

"Do you think you can heal him?" I asked her and she looked at the cuts on his face.

"I can but I won't." She said stepping back.

"What? Are you kidding? How could you just let him beat an innocent man and not want to help-" Maggie cut me off.

"Whoa! First of all, I had no idea what Derek was doing here. I thought he was in here to see you. Second, it's not that I don't want to help him Scott. If I heal him and he's got internal injuries then he could die so before you jump down my throat like I'm a horrible person maybe you should take a breath." She raised her voice at me and turned like she was going to leave the room but I gripped her arm softly.

"Mags, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions." I apologized quickly but she sighed before turning back around to stay.

"The best I can do is to clean and disinfect the cuts. I can't take the pain away though." She said and I walked over and handed her the sterilization kit.

"Thank you." I said with a soft smile. I watched her fix up Dr. Deaton's cuts and bandage them as Derek paced behind us. Finally he walked up next to me and huffed.

"Do you have a plan here?" He asked hastily breathing down my neck.

"Just give me an hour." I said cutting my eyes at him.

"Then what?" He pushed.

"Meet us at the school…in the parking lot." I said making him throw his hands up. When Maggie threw the bloody gauze away and moved towards Derek I was confused.

"Aren't you going to stay here with me?" I asked her making both her and Derek turn around.

"Uh-I actually think I'll just stick with Derek. We'll meet you at the school in an hour." She said walking out in front of Derek who gave me this look like he had won something.

It kind of tempted my wolf to come out and smack the look right off of his face but instead I called Stiles up and told him what had happened. It didn't take him long scoop me up and ask 1,000 questions.

"So she just left with Derek rather than stay with you? I mean I know she hates me right now but I thought she was still on good terms with you." He said as we pulled up to the school.

"We are on good terms. At least I thought we were. Today has been pretty hard on her though. Do you think maybe Derek turned her against me?" I asked in a bit of a panic.

"She's only been with him a few hours. I highly doubt that." Stiles parked the jeep as my mind spun out of control.

"Yeah but what if he did? What if she joins Derek's team?" I asked earning look from Stiles.

"Dude, there are no teams and if you haven't noticed we have bigger problems here like your stupid plan." Stiles said getting out of the jeep.

"I mean you do know that right? This is a terrible idea." Stiles confirmed.

"Yeah I know." I sighed seeing the look of annoyance on Stiles face.

"But we're still going to do it?" He asked.

"Can you think of something better?" I asked all out of ideas.

"Well personally I'm a fan of ignoring a problem until it eventually it just goes away." He said waving his hand in front of him.

"How's that working out for you and Maggie right now?" I asked him seeing his eyes narrow.

"Low blow man. Low freaking blow." Stiles said shaking his head.

"Just make sure we can get inside." I said as he opened the back of the jeep. Derek and Maggie pulled up and parked in the lot.

"They're here." I said and Stile pulled the bolt cutters out.

"Joyous, let's go see how Derek Hale can further ruin our lives." Stiles shut the jeep and we walked towards the Camero. Maggie got out and pulled her jacket around her tighter. She didn't really even look over at either of us and I feared maybe my guess was right. Derek insisted on being the one to pick Dr. Deaton up so after I left to meet up with Stiles he was supposed to retrieve him but I didn't see him.

"Where's my boss?" I asked looking at Derek.

"He's in the back." Derek sounded annoyed as he shut the door and nodded towards the backseat. Stiles and I walked over and looked in at him tied up in the very cramped back seat.

"Oh well he looks comfortable." Stiles said shaking his head at Derek before looking over at Maggie.

"Why are we here?" Derek asked impatiently.

"We? Since when are you two a we?" Stiles asked making Maggie sigh.

"Leave her alone. I think you've done enough damage for one day, don't you?" Derek spoke up pointing his finger at Stiles.

"I don't really think that's any of your business." Stiles shot making Derek take a step towards him.

"Stop! Derek, please…just forget it. It's not worth it." Maggie finally looked up and met Stiles gaze and the hitch in his heartbeat told me that her words hurt him.

"Can we please just focus here? I'm going to signal the Alpha and when we get back you guys can battle it out" I explained looking at the school. Maggie made no move to go with us so I tugged on Stiles sleeve forcing his feet to move. I watched him cut through the chain and turn the flashlight on to walk down the dark hallways. Something felt off as we walked in silence and I looked over at Stiles fumbling with something in his pocket.

"You okay?" I asked hitting his chest with the back of my hand. He snapped out of it and shook his head.

"Yeah let's just get this done." Stiles walked faster and I caught up with him in the office.

"Okay I have a question: what are you going to do if the alpha doesn't show up?" Stiles asked.

"I don't know." I said honestly.

"And what are you going to do if he does show up?" Stiles asked going behind the desk and flipping some switches to get the PA system ready for me.

"I don't know." I said again earning a sigh.

"This continues to be an awesome plan." Stiles said sarcastically putting the mic on the desk.

"Okay, you said a wolf howls to signal his position to the rest of the pack right?" I explained trying to get Stiles to understand my plan.

"Yeah but if you do that does that make you part of his pack?" Stiles asked concerned.

"I hope not." I hadn't thought that far in advanced but I hoped this plan wouldn't go as terrible as it could.

**[Maggie's POV]**

I stood against the side of Derek's car, looking inside to check on Dr. Deaton ever so often as we waited for Scott to put his plan into motion. Derek stood next to me with his arms crossed over his chest, gritting his teeth.

"Are you alright?" He finally broke through the silence.

"I'm fine." I lied as I hugged my arms around me tighter. Just seeing Stiles pained me. I didn't know how I was supposed to get over this but I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

"Liar." He said making me cut my eyes at him. I didn't respond though. He knew I wasn't fine but I guess it was nice of him to check.

"So you're mad at Scott now too." Derek said like it was a fact.

"No…maybe…I'm not really sure how I feel. Karen is still missing and even if they find her, we'll have to move again and it's like somehow that's not important enough to take priority over everything else." I said feeling like a brat. People were dying and the alpha was closing in but deep down I felt justified in feeling pushed aside after being publically ostracized.

"It's been a long day and I wasn't really ready to face all of this just yet." I said quickly.

"You've got to face him eventually. It's not like you can hide from him." Derek pointed out making me huff.

"Well I didn't quite expect to be facing him 4 hours later. I mean I may be tough but my bounce back isn't _that_ on point." I said rolling my eyes.

"I'm not arguing. I'd say dropping those two idiots would be a vast improvement." Derek said simply.

"Says the guy who has no friends and hates everyone." I mumbled.

"Would it make you feel better to know that I could smell his remorse and sadness?" Derek asked. I frowned and shook my head.

"Sadly, no." I turned my body to face Derek and he kept his eyes on me.

"I can smell your pain too…I-I'm sorry." He said not being able to look me in the eye as he apologized for something he didn't do.

"Not your fault. Let's just get this done so I can get out of here and figure out where I'm sleeping tonight. How does one signal the Alpha anyway?" I asked rubbing my hands together but before Derek could answer there was a high pitched noise that sounded like a cat was being run over by a dump truck.

"You've got to be kidding me?" Derek said squeezing his eyes shut.

"What the hell is that?" I looked at him through squinted eyes trying to figure it out.

"What was that you were telling me about Scott being a good beta?" Derek said once the noise finally stopped. Even I was embarrassed for Scott after that terrible attempt at summoning the Alpha. We waited a few more moments before another noise came that was a far cry from the first. It was powerful, boisterous and no doubt was straight up werewolf. Derek looked around as I felt my chest quake slightly from the growl and noticed my pendant was starting to heat up. I zipped my coat up higher so Derek wouldn't notice as he paced back and forth waiting for Scott and Stiles to emerge.

"I'm gonna kill both of you! What the hell was that?! What are you trying to do, attract the entire state to the school?" Derek started in on the two and I leaned off of the car keeping my back to them.

"Sorry I didn't know it would be that loud." Scott apologized.

"Oh it was loud and it was AWESOME!" Stiles laughed making me roll my eyes.

"Shut up." Derek cut him off.

"Don't be such a sourwolf." Stiles started again and Derek shuffled like he might do something and that's when I turned around.

"What'd you do with him?" Scott asked Derek. I looked from Derek to the car and noticed Dr. Deaton was no longer in the backseat.

"I didn't do anything. We've been standing here the whole time." Derek gestured to me.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked stepping towards me as I gripped my head from the sudden faint feeling..

"I-I'm fine." Something didn't feel right. I suddenly felt nauseous and when Derek took a hold of my hand to move it from my head he was jerked away from me. Blood started to pour out of his mouth and he began to rise off of the ground.

"HOLY SHIT!" Stiles screamed grabbing a hold of Scott. Derek shoved me into Scott with whatever strength he had left as the Alpha continued to lift him higher into the air.

"DEREK!" I screamed reaching out but Scott pulled me back.

"Come on!" Scott pulled me towards the school and I started to resist slightly seeing the Alpha toss Derek into the brick wall like a rag doll. The boys pushed the doors shut quickly and held them tightly.

"Lock it!" Scott yelled at Stiles.

"No! Don't lock it! Derek is still out there!" I argued.

"Maggie he pushed you at me for a reason. If he can heal, he'll heal but if not there isn't anything we can do to help him anyway." Scott tried to reason with me but looked to Stiles for some back up.

"Do I look like I have a key?!" Stiles said frantically hanging onto the doors not really caring about Derek's well being.

"Grab something to lock them." Scott raised his voice and Stiles jumped up looking out the window. Scott did the same and shook his head.

"Stiles, no. You can't go out there." Scott said.

"Yes I can just-" I cut Stiles off.

"Did you not see what he did to Derek!? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" I yelled at him and he looked almost surprised I was even talking to him. He went to open his mouth but didn't say anything. He slipped out of the door against Scott and I's wishes and shut the door softly. Scott watched him carefully and I couldn't bear to watch. I instinctively started saying protection spells in my head to distract myself but when Scott started pounding on the window I panicked.

"STILES! STILES HE'S BACK! RUN!" Scott's screams were desperate but before I could run to the door Stiles was barreling back through it using the bolt cutters to lock the door. They used the flashlight to peer out into the darkness and I felt my anger rising as my heart started to pound against my chest.

"That was a close one." Stiles breathed out turning around to look at me but he wasn't met with a thankful sigh from me. No. I pulled back and punched him in the cheek making him stumble into the trashcan by the wall.

"Maggie!" Scott said throwing his hands up.

"Are you trying to add to my misery by getting yourself killed?" I accused seeing the look of shock and confusion on Stiles face as he rubbed his cheek.

"That wasn't my intention. I was actually trying to keep us all safe unlike your pal Derek out there." Stiles hissed standing upright. Before I could retort Scott stepped between us.

"Okay that's enough. Look Maggie, I know what Stiles did was beyond stupid and I know you're hurting right now but if we don't stick together then we are going to die. I don't know about you two but I'd prefer not dying right now so please, I'm begging you to just bury it for right now." Scott pleaded with me and I cut my eyes to Stiles who seemed to have shaken off the hit.

"Fine, what are we going to do now?" I asked trying to keep myself calm.

"That isn't going to hold is it?" Scott asked looking at Stiles.

"Probably not." Stiles confirmed before turning the light down the hall to see how truly screwed we were.

A howl in the distance made us look at one another before breaking out into a run and ducked into the first classroom that was open. The boys went to move the desk to block the door but I told them to stop.

"What? What's wrong?" Scott asked confused.

"That door isn't going to keep it out." I said and Stiles leaned on the desk.

"It's your boss, Deaton, the alpha...yeah your boss." Stiles pointed at Scott like it was his fault.

"No!" Scott defended.

"Yes! Murdering, psycho werewolf!" Stiles said through gritted teeth.

"It can't be." Scott shook his head.

"Oh come on, he disappears and that thing shows up 10 seconds later to toss Derek 20 feet in the air, that's not convenient timing?" Stiles pressed.

"It's not him!" Scott was firm on not believing that Deaton was the Alpha and I agreed.

"I don't think its Deaton either. I got really light headed when the Alpha approached and I haven't been light headed the entire time I was with Deaton." I explained and Stiles looked at me.

"Maybe you're just exhausted from today." Stiles suggested.

"It's not that kind of nauseous. It was the kind you get when you're body is trying to warn you." I explained.

"He killed Derek." He reminded.

"Derek's not dead, he can't be dead!" Scott spoke up and Stiles cut the gaze to roll his eyes.

"Blood spurted out of his mouth! That doesn't exactly qualify as a minor injury." Stiles defended and I slammed my hands down on the desk.

"Can you both shut the hell up and figure out what our next move is before I kill you myself." I finally had enough and I could tell Scott was panicking.

"Okay well what do we do?" He asked.

"We need to get to my jeep. If we get to the jeep, we get the hell out of here and you seriously consider quitting your job. Sound good?" Stiles pitched and Scott nodded. I walked over to the window and Stiles pulled on my sleeve to get lower. The three of us crept by the window to look out at the parking lot. Scott tried to open the window but I put my hand up.

"They're sealed. The school is climate controlled." I informed.

"Then we break it." Scott said.

"Which will make a lot of noise." Stiles added and Scott rolled his eyes.

"I think I like it better when you two aren't working together." Scott said facing the windows again. I felt Stiles look over at me but I was too busy trying to figure out why his jeep looked funny.

"What happened to the jeep?" I asked.

"Nothing happened to the jeep." Stiles answered confused.

"The hood is bent." I said trying to focus my eyes more but suddenly felt Stiles push his weight against my back to peer out of the window from over my shoulder.

"You mean dented? It's got a few but-" He asked.

"No she means totally bent." Scott was now looking at the jeep confused as well.

"What the hell happened to-" Stiles question was answered when a car battery came rocketing through the window at us. I was sandwiched between Stiles and Scott as we hit the floor and stared at the battery.

"I guess a new plan is required." I said pushing them off of me slightly. Scott peaked over the wall to see outside and Stiles hit his arm trying to get him to duck.

"He's not out there." Scott said breathlessly.

"Move now?" Stiles asked sounding equally winded.

"Move now." Scott said grabbing my hand and pulling me out into the hallway.

"We need to go someplace without windows." Stiles spoke up.

"Every single room in this building has windows." I said frustrated.

"Okay, somewhere with fewer windows." Stiles corrected himself.

"The locker room!" Scott's eyes went wide and Stiles hit his arm.

"Perfect! Let's go." We started to run again and as we went through the locker room door I retrieved my hand from Scott.

"It smells horrible in here." I said trying not to breathe through my nose.

"Greenberg just discovered where you actually put deodorant." Stiles said shutting the door quietly behind us.

"Call your dad." Scott said looking around the locker room.

"And tell him what? If you didn't realize we had to break in here." Stiles said but Scott just threw his hands up.

"I don't care! Tell him anything! A gas leak, a fire, something! If that thing sees a parking lot full of cop cars it'll take off." Scott was starting to panic.

"What if it doesn't? What if that thing goes completely terminator and kills every cop in sight, including my dad." Stiles was now panicking too and I suddenly felt like the strongest one here.

"They have guns!" Scott tried to defend his argument but we both knew it wouldn't hold up.

"You know Wolfsbane bullets are the only thing that would remotely slow him down. We can't call the police." I said earning silent thanks from Stiles.

"I don't know then! We need to just get out of here and run for it." Scott ran his hands through his hair out of options.

"There's nothing around the school for at least a mile." Stiles mimicked Scott running his hands through his short hair too.

"We can take Derek's car." I spoke up getting confused looks from the both of them.

"Sure let's run out there and steal the keys off his corpse." Stiles said and I held the keys up.

"How do you-" I cut Scott off.

"Derek asked me to turn the car off while you guys were inside. He didn't want to run the battery down just to give Deaton heat." I explained.

"You should have said so sooner." Stiles shook his head at me.

"We're only taking Derek's car if we take him with us. I'm not leaving him here." I defended and Stiles groaned.

"Are you out of your mind? You want us to risk our asses to save your new BFF after we watched him get torn apart?" Stiles stepped closer to me and I stepped closer to him in response.

"He was there when I needed someone, I'm not leaving him behind." I seethed. Stiles knew what I was talking about and bit the inside of his cheek backing away.

"Fine let's go get Derek. Here's hoping we don't get gutted in the process." Stiles started towards the door but Scott stopped him.

"Wait…I think I hear something." He said making me grip his arm.

"What is it?" I asked quickly and Scott put his finger to his lips. When he started to back up I knew he actually did hear something.

"Hide!" Scott whispered harshly and I ducked into a locker. What I didn't plan on was Stiles stumbling into me and shutting us both in the same locker.

"Are you kidding me? Get your own locker!" I put my hands up to push him back but he gripped my wrists.

"Trust me, I wasn't planning this but I kind of tripped." I hadn't realized how hunched he was to fit in the locker until he spoke and I could feel his breath on the top of my lip.

"Of course you did. Another mistake I suppose." I grumbled making him sigh.

Before he could say anything the door to the locker room opened. Stiles looked like he was about to start freaking out so I put my hand over his mouth. My body started to shake as the feet moved across the floor and Stiles put his arms around me. We both jumped when Scott started to freak out like someone had pulled him out of the locker. When we opened the locker we saw a janitor freaking out to which Stiles tried to hush him.

"What the hell are you kids trying to do, kill me? You need to get out of here. I don't know what you kids are doing but you should be ashamed of yourselves, you especially young lady." He said eying me like I was doing something immoral.

"If you just stop and listen to us for half a second, alright?" Stiles said but the man grabbed my arm and pushed me towards the door.

"Not alright. Get the hell out of here right now." He shoved us all out of the door and I fixed my jacket onto my shoulder.

"Just let us explain." Stiles said as we were in the hallway.

"Just shut up and go." The janitor barely finished his sentence when he was pulled back into the locker room forcefully. Screams erupted behind the closed door and the janitors bloody hands pressed against it.

"Oh God." I said in shock as Scott tried to open the door and save the man but Stiles pulled him away and gripped my hand to flee. I pushed my feet as hard as they'd go but it still barely seemed as fast as Stiles and Scott.

"Door!" Stiles said pointing to an exit but we ended up smacking right into it.

"What the-" Stiles said but Scott peered his head out.

"He pushed the dumpster in front of the door." Scott said backing away from it.

"To lock us in…we're going to die…at school." I put my hand on my chest as everything started to become overwhelming.

"Maggie, your heart is beating like crazy. You've got to calm down." Scott said but I started to get tunnel vision.

"No no no, she's having a panic attack. Maggie, listen to me, okay? We aren't going to die here. Try and take a deep breath." Stiles was holding both of my shoulders and I shook my head. It's like my lungs forgot how to take a deep breath but as Stiles became more physical I pushed him away.

"Put your arms around her." Stiles demanded making Scott look at him confused.

"What? Why?" He asked as I kept trying to take deeper breaths.

"Just do it!" Stiles shouted and Scott wrapped his arms around me.

"Maggie, feel Scott's heartbeat. Listen to his breathing. We aren't going to let anything happen to you alright? If you don't believe me then just remember where your safe place is." Stiles coached me through the panic attack and I finally started to get my breaths to come out evenly. I tapped Scott's arm and he released his hold on me but I felt them both staring at me.

"W-we should keep moving." Scott broke the silence before putting his hand on my back. I couldn't figure out how I could utterly loath Stiles and yet still find comfort in his words. The pain remained when I looked at him long enough but I had to put my feelings aside if I wanted to make it out of here alive.

**[Stiles's POV]**

It was killing me that Maggie kept pushing and pulling against letting me in. All I wanted to do was forget today even happened so Maggie could look at me without feeling pain. I knew I had to keep my mind off of it but every time she had a moment of weakness and let me in, I shamefully took it.

"What is he doing? What does he want?" I asked as we quickly walked through the dark hallway.

"Me! Derek says it's stronger in a pack." Scott said.

"Great! A psychotic werewolf who's into team work. That's just beautiful." I said shifting the flashlight back and forth.

"Stop…stop for a second." Maggie tugged on both of our arms and we looked back at her as she unzipped her jacket a bit. She was pulling and tugging at the collar of the jacket like she was overheated but she avoided her pendant that hung around her neck.

"What is-" I started to ask but Scott's eyes went wide as he looked out of the windows behind me. There stood the Alpha with his fierce red eyes glowing in the distance as he stood on the roof of the building opposite us. For a second I thought he might jump off and disappear into the darkness but he clearly had different plans as he came charging across the rooftop towards us.

"GO! GO!" Scott screamed taking Maggie's hand and yanking her behind him. We ran for the stairs and practically busted the door clean off the hinges going down to the basement. I had no idea why we were going down because there was only one exit in the basement but when we finally stopped to hide behind some lockers I knew the Alpha wasn't far. His growl cut through the silence of the room like a butcher knife and I looked at Scott for some type of guidance and only earned a soft request to keep going. As we wander further in the basement I could tell Maggie was struggling.

"We need to do something. Maggie can barely breathe." I said but she shook her head.

"I-…fine." She could barely got out through breaths.

"Like what?" Scott asked and I was annoyed I was the human making the calls in a very supernatural situation.

"I don't know, kill it, hurt it, inflict mental anguish on it, something." I peeked around the lockers and saw the shadow just a few feet away. Maggie gripped my arm.

"What?" I looked at her and she patted my pocket that held my keys. She was brilliant. I smiled at her before slowly pulling my keys out.

"Stand back." I put my arm out and they both backed up.

Once I threw the keys I jumped back and watched the beast barrel into the storage closet thinking it was us. I sphere the door shut and Scott jumped into action helping me push the heavy, metal desk in front of the door.

"I can't believe that worked." Maggie said with a laugh. Scott and I exchanged a high five before helping Maggie get over the desk. She squealed slightly when the alpha hit up against the door before she fell into my chest. Scott jumped over and took a deep breath. When I moved to the side to look into the window Maggie pulled on my arm.

"What are you doing?" She asked sounding genuinely concerned.

"I just want to get a look at him." I said but Scott jumped.

"Are you crazy?" He asked making me roll my eyes.

"Look, its trapped okay. It's not gonna get out. Don't worry." I put my hand on top of Maggie's and she resisted letting me loose at first but did so when I went to move toward the door. I peered into the door with the flashlight and saw the large beast skulking around.

"Yeah that's right. We got you." I said fearlessly.

"Dude shut up!" Scott said urgently.

"No! I'm not scared of this thing, alright?" I raised my voice but when the Alpha bucked up against the door I rolled off the desk almost wiping out.

"So that's what courage at its finest looks like." Maggie mocked.

"Still not scared of you…because you're in there and we're out here. You're not going any-" As I shouted at the Alpha trying to keep up appearances, there was a loud crash and some of the ceiling started to fall inside the locked room. Our eyes followed the light as I pointed it to the ceiling to see some of the tiles bending and breaking as added weight was placed upon them. We didn't stick around for him to appear. We just halled ass out of there trying to find our way through the boiler room when suddenly Scott stopped us by putting his arm out.

"Wait a minute! Do you hear that? It sounds like a phone." Scott said looking around.

"Don't do that!" Maggie hit his arm clearly frightened when he stopped us.

"It's Allison's phone!" Scott started to run and started to molest my side to get my cell phone which I ended up having to get myself.

"No it's me, where are you? Where are you right now?" Scott called Allison and tensed every time she answered him.

"Where?! Where are you exactly? Get to the lobby, go now!" Scott shut the phone and handed it back to me as we headed upstairs towards the lobby.

"Why would she come to the school? Have you talked to her today?" Scott looked over at Maggie who was struggling to keep up with us.

"Are you joking? My day has been a bit hectic Scott. I didn't get a chance to have a powwow with Allison since I booked out of here and spent the rest of the evening crying in Derek's camero." Maggie meant it to be sarcastic but I couldn't hide the frown on my face when she said she had been crying in Derek's camero. While Derek wouldn't be my first choice of people to have a breakdown in front of, the fact that she even had one at all because of me broke my heart. Once we got up to the lobby Allison was already there waiting for us.

"What are you doing here?" Scott asked nervously looking around.

"You texted me earlier and asked me to." Allison said confused showing Scott the text.

"I asked you to?" Scott looked back at both of us.

"Why do I get the feeling you didn't send this?" Allison asked.

"He doesn't have a phone, remember?" Maggie shifted on her feet.

"Okay, let's just skip all of this. Did you drive here?" I asked cutting through the insignificant drama.

"Jackson did. What's going on?!" Allison asked looking scared.

"Jackson's here?" Scott and I both asked at the same time.

"And Lydia…hold on that's her calling." Allison answered her phone but before she could say anything Lydia and Jackson came through the door making Scott and I jump.

"Great! Now it's really a party. I'm just gonna go off and see if I can find some more people to die with." Maggie started to walk away and I grabbed her arm dragging her back over to where we stood.

"Finally! Can we go now?" Lydia asked Allison eying Maggie and I. Allison nodded at Lydia's request to leave but before we could even move towards the doors the ceiling started to bend and creak.

"Oh no." I said looking up knowing the Alpha wasn't finished with us.

"Run?" Maggie suggested and Scott looked over at us.

"Run!" He said grabbing Allison's hand and dragging her up the steps just as the Alpha came crashing through the ceiling. Maggie didn't take my hand this time. She ran faster than she had all night but I figured the motivation was hearing the giant werewolf bouncing off the lockers behind us and growling that got her moving. We finally made it to the cafeteria and everyone started to block the door.

"Scott…wait not in here." I said looking at all the open windows.

"Who was that? What was that?" Allison asked.

"It came through the ceiling!" Lydia said on the verge of tears.

"Just help me move the chairs!" Scott demanded as the girls started to pitch in.

"Guys can we just wait a second here…guys listen to me…guys?" It was like I became invisible at the moment as they rushed to trap us in the cafeteria.

"Hello…Stiles talking." I said and this time Maggie stopped and looked at me.

"Can we hang on for just a second here?" Maggie looked at me confused but no one else had even bothered to pay attention.

"HELLO!" I shouted making them stop.

"Okay, nice work. Really beautiful job everyone. Now what should we do about the 20 foot wall of windows?" I asked gesturing towards the high windows that led out to the garden enclosure of the school. We were now sitting ducks for the Alpha to just storm the windows and take us all out.

"Can someone please explain what's going on because I am freaking out here." Allison begged grabbing Scott's arm. He looked over at Maggie and me for answers.

"It's hard to explain." Maggie tried to cover as he stepped away from Allison. Lydia, Jackson and Allison stood looking at me now.

"Somebody killed the janitor." I said walking over towards them.

"What?" Lydia asked gripping Jackson's arm.

"Yeah the janitor's dead." I said earning concerned looks.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Allison said still looking at Scott who had his back turned.

"Who killed him?" Jackson asked.

"No no no, this was supposed to be over. They killed the mountain lion-" Jackson cut Lydia off during her panic.

"Lydia, don't you get it? There was no mountain lion." Jackson scolded her like she was some stupid child.

"Who did it?!" Allison raised her voice but Jackson looked over at Maggie.

"Is this about you? That murderer who killed your family because of your witch shit?" Jackson accused.

"Are you serious right now?" Maggie asked with her arms over her chest.

"If it's you that he wants then take your ass out there. I'm not going to die for you." Jackson made an advance towards Maggie and without a second thought I stepped in front of her.

"Back off, Jackson." I said in a stern tone. I was toe to toe with Jackson when he rolled his eyes trying to reach around me to her I shoved him back hard, hitting the stacked chairs with his back.

"SCOTT!" Allison yelled trying to get him to intervene but he turned around looking like a train wreck.

"I-I I don't know. I just know if we go out there he'll kill us." Scott stumbled through his words.

"Us? All of us?" Lydia was terrified and as much as I wanted to reassure her everything was going to be alright I knew that it would only make things worse with Maggie.

"Who. Is. It?" Allison asked on last time and I watched Scott's shoulders slack.

"It's Derek, Derek Hale." Scott said and I could feel Maggie tense behind me.

"No! Scott-" Maggie started towards Scott but I stopped her.

"All of them? Are you sure?" Lydia and Allison asked in disbelief.

"YES! All of them starting with his own sister. The bus driver, the guy in the video store, it's been Derek the whole time. He's in here with us and if we don't get out of here now he's going to kill us too." Scott finally turned around and Maggie shrugged me off of her.

"It can't be Derek. I was with him today." Maggie completely blew Scott's plan but it backfired.

"You knew Derek was killing people and you didn't say anything?" Allison asked making Maggie look at her.

"Derek hasn't killed anyone." She defended looking annoyingly at Allison.

"So says the lying witch! I bet you were in on it." Lydia pointed a finger at Maggie and she spun around to face her.

"If that were true you would have been gone a long time ago." Maggie gritted out but Jackson threw his arms out.

"Screw this, call the cops." He finally demanded.

"No." I said simply.

"What do you mean no?" Jackson turned his attention on me.

"I mean no. Did you want to hear it in Spanish? _No_. Look Derek killed three people, okay. We don't even know what he's armed with." I explained looking over at Scott silently cursing him.

"Your dad is armed with an entire Sheriff's department, call him." Jackson pressed but Lydia pulled out her phone.

"I'm calling." She started to call.

"Lydia can you just wait a second." I walked towards her putting a hand out and Jackson shoved me back into Maggie. She steadied me putting one of her hands on my back and the other on my arm.

"Hey!" Scott finally decided to join us before I pummeled Jackson or got pummeled.

"Yes we're at Beacon Hills High School and we're trapped. We need you to…but…she hung up on me." Lydia said putting her phone down.

"The police hung up on you?" Allison asked in disbelief.

"She said they got a tip warning them that there were going to be prank calls about a break in at the high school. She said if I called again she would trace the number and have me arrested." Lydia spun around shocked at being told off by the operator.

"Then call again!" Allison pushed.

"No they won't trace a cell. They'll send a car to your house before they send it here." I added earning scathing looks from the three of them.

"Why is this happening? Why is Derek killing anybody?" Allison was starting to break down and Scott couldn't handle the pressure that was being put on him.

"Why is everyone looking at me?" He asked stepping away.

"Is he the one that sent her the text?" Lydia asked.

"No…I mean I don't know." Scott stuttered.

"Is he the one that called the police?" Allison asked and Scott finally snapped.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Allison shook her head before stepping away from us. I decided to step in.

"Let's ease back on the throttle." I pulled Scott away from everyone and Maggie stayed put making sure not to go near Jackson.

"First off, throwing Derek under the bus, nicely done. Maggie probably hates you almost half as much as she hates me now so at least I'm not alone on that front." I said seeing him roll his eyes.

"I didn't know what to say and I had to say something. If he's dead then it doesn't matter right? Except if he's not…God I totally just bit her head off." Scott was saying everything that was running through his mind at the moment and I was trying to keep up.

"And she'll totally get over it. Bigger issues at hand here like how we get out alive." I said trying to get him to focus.

"That's just it, he could have killed us by now but he hasn't. It's like he's cornering us or something." Scott said trying to wrap his head around why we were still alive.

"So what? He wants to eat us all at the same time?" I asked hoping it wasn't true because if it was then we are in the perfect setting.

"No said it wants revenge." Scott reminded me.

"Against who?" I asked.

"Allison's family? Maybe Maggie?" Scott caught my attention.

"Why Maggie?" I asked trying not to sound defensive but before Scott could answer Jackson erupted behind us.

"Alright assheads! New plan. Stiles calls his useless dad and tells him to bring someone with a big gun and decent aim. Are we good with that?" Jackson asked looking around.

"You can't force him to lead his dad into a trap, you insufferable douche bag." Maggie said earning a biting look from Jackson.

"Jackson's right. Tell him the truth if you have to, just call him." Scott said surprising me.

"Scott!" Maggie said his name like even she was taken aback by his request.

"I'm not watching my dad get eaten alive." I whispered to Scott. I thought he would understand after what happened with the mountain lion but apparently his priorities were out of whack. I threw my hands up and walked back towards Maggie.

"That's it! Give me the stupid phone." Jackson lost his patience and grabbed my shoulder but I swung around and landed a good punch square in the middle of his face.

"Jackson!" Allison ran towards Jackson as he hit the ground trying to process my fist connecting to his face and Maggie grabbed my hand.

"Are you okay?" She asked looking at my hand that ached slightly but it wasn't too bad.

"I don't want to call him, Maggie but I know I have to." I said shaking my head at her.

"Maybe you'll get lucky and he won't answer." She joked as I pulled my phone out and started to dial his number. I prayed she was right and pulled away from Scott as he touched my arm. Surprisingly when I called it was his voice mail.

"Hey dad it's me and it's your voice mail. Look I need you to call me back like now-" The chairs behind Lydia that blocked the door started to shake and she ran for Jackson.

"We're at the school. Dad, we're at the school." I hung the phone up and put it back in my pocket as we all stood there helplessly. Lydia was freaking out hanging onto Jackson and Allison was doing the same.

"The kitchen…the door out of the kitchen leads to the stairwell." I said as soon as the thought hit me.

"Which only goes up." Scott stated the obvious.

"Up is better than here. Let's go." We all started to shuffle towards the kitchen when I noticed Maggie wasn't with us.

"Stiles!" Scott called out for me.

"Just go we'll catch up." I said and he didn't hesitate. I ran back over to Maggie who was gripping her pendant tightly.

"Mags, we gotta go." I said as the doors continued to shake.

"I...I can't. Something's not right." She said shaking her head.

"Yeah thing's stopped being right when werewolves came into the picture but we can talk about this another time." I rushed but she still didn't move.

"Every time the Alpha gets close I start to feel sick, like physically sick. I don't know what's wrong with me but I can't function." She said squeezing her eyes tightly.

"You're in shock right now but I need you to move. If we don't go now, we're both dead." I tried to speak as calmly as I could but she just stood so still and tensed it was unnerving. I approached her and tried to get her to look at me.

"Freezing up isn't an option right now. Just take my hand and-" I started but she cut me off.

"Take your hand and what? Trust you?" The Alpha pounded against the doors once more and I started to freak out a bit.

"YES! It's not an entirely horrible concept when there is a giant mega wolf outside the doors looking for dinner." I threw my arms out but she just shook her head.

"Just…just go Stiles. I'm not your problem anymore." I couldn't believe she actually thought that. How could one mistake erase all the progress we made over the last few weeks? Did she really think I didn't want her in my life? Did she really think I could just let her die?

"No…you know what? No. You're wrong because you are my problem. Whether you want to believe it or not I care about you. Even when you look at me with that face. No matter how expendable you think you are to me, you aren't. I can't lose you again." I stepped closer to her and she continued to gaze at me.

"Look I only see two options right now. One, you continue to hate me, we stand here and die together or two, you forget everything that happened earlier today, take my hand and trust me. Please Maggie." I explained as the beast got closer to pushing right through the doors to us. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them to wipe a silent tear away.

"Just for tonight. For one more night I will let you be my hero." She said firmly. I extended my hand with a grateful smile and she took it. I wasted no time pulling her behind me out of the backdoor but I had the crash in the cafeteria which goes to show just how close we were to almost dying together.

"Stiles!" Scott was standing in the chem lab waving us over. We quickly reached the somewhat safety of the lab before Scott and Jackson locked the door back. I gave Maggie's hand a squeeze and she nodded at me. My first priority when I got out of here was to fix things with her.

**[Maggie's POV]**

The boys paced the lab trying to figure out a plan and I had to take a seat because of how light headed I was starting to get. I had no idea why I was being affected so badly by the alpha but I knew it was him because every time he got close my pendant would heat up.

"Jackson, how many people can fit in your car?" Scott asked him.

"5 but Maggie and Lydia are so small they can fit on someone's lap." Jackson said my name for the first time without so much as a hint of an insult.

"5?! I barely fit in the back." Allison debated.

"It doesn't matter, there's no getting out without drawing attention." Stiles sighed.

"What about this? We can go to the roof and climb down the fire escape in like seconds." Scott pitched the door in the back of the room.

"That's a deadbolt. I didn't exactly bring my B&E kit with me, Scott." Stiles sounded annoyed.

"The janitor has a key." I said purely joking but Scott's face lit up.

"You mean his body has it." He gave me a look and I put my hands up.

"I can find them." Scott pushed.

"Gee that sounds like an incredibly terrible idea, what else you got?" Stiles said and I stood up to interject.

"Stiles is right. It's too…" I started to fall over and Scott caught me.

"What's wrong with her?" Lydia asked as Scott sat me down.

"Whatever's going on with Maggie it's gotta be linked to the alpha. We've got to get her out of here, Stiles." Stiles looked at me as Scott tried to talk him into the idea of going out there. Stiles didn't say anything and I knew it was because he wasn't about to agree on sending Scott out there with that monster. Scott turned around and ran into Allison. They started to argue and Stiles put his hand on my forehead.

"Just hang in there. We'll get you out of here soon enough." Stiles tried to reassure me but I pulled his hand off my forehead and held it.

"Scott's got a better chance out there than any of us. He's managed to get this far with just your training so have a little faith." I said giving his hand a squeeze this time. By the time Stiles and I joined the conversation, Lydia was making a molotov cocktail for Scott to take with him to protect himself.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Scott asked.

"Of course she does, she's an honor student with chemistry being her best subject. She could probably make a dirty bomb if she had more time." I rubbed the back of my neck and she looked over at me.

"Don't think you can just compliment me now. We are not friends." Lydia spoke up and I laughed.

"It wasn't a compliment. The fact that you pretend to be stupid for your boyfriend's benefit trumps your genius any day. You may be book smart but your psychological strength lacks weight." I pinched the bridge of my nose as both Lydia and Jackson looked like they were ready to start an argument but Allison's cry stopped everyone.

"No I'm sorry but I'm not okay with this. You can _not_ do this. You can't go out there." Allison was looking at Scott.

"We can't just sit here and wait for Stiles dad to check his messages. Maggie is sick and after the day she's had we'll be lucky if we get her out of here in one piece." Scott explained gesturing towards me as Stiles made his way over and put a hand on my shoulder.

"You could die, don't you get that? He's killed three people already." Allison was practically pleading with Scott and it kind of broke my heart. If I didn't know what I knew then I would be doing the same thing right now but Scott knew he was our only option.

"If I don't go then we'll be next." Scott moved towards the door and Allison stopped him again whispering something to him.

"You're a horrible liar, Scott and you've been lying all night. Just…please don't go. Please don't leave us….please." Allison begged Scott not to go but I knew his mind was already made up.

"Scott." I said his name and he looked over at me before sighing.

"Lock the door behind me." He said. Allison pulled him into another kiss that he actually had to pull away from in order to exit the classroom. She locked the door behind him and looked over at me.

"You know why he's lying. Why is he doing this? What is he hiding?" Allison asked approaching me.

"Unlike your friend over there, I don't tell people's secrets. In time maybe he'll tell you on his own. Trust me when I say he's the only one that can pull this off." I said looking down at my feet.

"Trust you? You've been lying about everything since the day I met you and you want me to trust you?" Allison's words made me look up at her.

"For all we know, you and Scott could have planned this whole thing." Lydia spoke up and I looked between them.

"You want to know the truly entertaining thing about what you did today? The fact that you found out what my family is and still had the balls to expose me. Did you think that would be without consequence? If you truly believed I was a witch, did you honestly think you could turn my life upside down and just walk away?" I seethed looking at Lydia and she gripped Jackson's arm.

"Okay, everyone needs to calm down." Stiles said making Jackson pull Lydia over to where Allison sat on one of the tables.

"Just relax okay? It's not worth it right now." Stiles whispered to me but I felt a wrench in my gut that I had to bite my lip to stifle a groan.

"I can't stop my hands from shaking." Allison cried.

"It's okay, it's okay. Everything is going to be alright." Jackson soothed Allison by gripping her hands. All of us noticed and I'm sure only Stiles and I were the ones picking up on Jackson's motive. I started to mutter a protection spell silently to myself.

"What are you doing? Stop that! Whatever voodoo hex you are trying to put on me right now you can just stop it!" Lydia shrieked at me but when I didn't stop moving my lips she came at me.

"I SAID STOP!" Lydia raised her voice as she charged but I didn't flinch. Jackson gripped her and pulled her back with Allison on her side trying to soothe her.

"Maggie, just stop!" Stiles reprimanded me and I just looked at him with such contempt.

"You actually thought I was hexing her?" I whispered making him turn around and disregard Jackson and Allison soothing Lydia.

"I don't know anything about witchcraft Maggie. I have no clue what you're doing." Stiles put his arms up in exhaustion. It was then that I knew it was all a lie. No matter how good things had gotten between us, deep down Stiles thought I was a bad person.

"You really had me fooled into thinking you thought I was a good person." I said with a sniffle that made Stiles walk back over to me.

"I thought we agreed to hold off on this until after I've managed to save you? Just stay with me here, alright?" Stiles started to walk away again.

"I was there when your mother died." It came out of my mouth before I could process and he spun around quickly.

"Wait…what do you mean you were there? You were at the funeral?" He questioned walking back over to me clearly caught off guard.

"When I heard your mom died and I wasn't there for you it broke my heart. So I ran away. I knew I had to be here for the funeral…for you." I let a tear roll down my cheek and Stiles looked down at me baffled.

"Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you come up to me or I don't know tell me you were there? Anything?!" He asked staring at me with confusion.

"Because I knew if your dad saw me alone that he would know I ran away and I didn't want you to be upset with your dad for sending me back after losing your mom. I wanted to hug you so bad and tell you that I was there but…" I tried to hold my emotions back but when it came to this sort of thing I always felt the heavy weight of my past. He kneeled down in front of me and was now looking up at me.

"But you couldn't. I understand. I just said goodbye to my mom and if I had to say goodbye to you too then it would have killed me." He put his hand on top of mine and I met his gaze. We both held a sad frown.

"I don't think you're a bad person Maggie. I swear I don't." Stiles said gripping my hands tightly.

"You just think I'd hex a girl I don't like because of some petty spat." I said biting my lower lip.

Before Stiles could say anything a loud growl that sounded like a siren filled the school causing the girls to cover their ears but Stiles jumped up. I could hear my heart beating suddenly as if it were on a loud speaker and glimpses of Scott being dragged across the gym floor by the alpha flashed into my head.

"Jackson?! Jackson, are you okay? Stiles! Help!" Allison called Stiles over and he looked at Jackson as he hit the floor on his hands and knees screaming in pain. More images of Scott writhing on the hardwood floor flashed through my head and I could suddenly feel that gut wrenching again like my ribcage was being twisted about.

"I said I'm okay!" Jackson insisted pulling away from the girls.

"That didn't sound okay at all." Allison said.

"What's on the back of your neck?" Stiles asked earning a slapped hand away from him. That's when I rolled off of the chair and hit the floor.

"Maggie!" Stiles ran over to me as I felt my body jerk violently on the floor. I felt like I was being torn in two. I could hear Stiles panicking but I could see through Scott's eyes and actually feel his rage. Something was happening and I wasn't sure what it was but he was heading this way with one thing on his mind: to kill all of us.

"I think she's having a seizure. Turn her over." Allison said as Stiles turned me over letting my head rest in his lap.

"F-fight it Ss-Scott. Fight it." I said aloud as he crept through the halls.

"What is she talking about? We need to go find Scott!" Allison panicked and I could now hear everyone's heart beating collectively fast.

"Stay with me Maggie. Please just stay with me." Stiles was terrified as he gripped my hand. Scott was dragging his claws along the walls of the school and I could feel the vibrations in my own hand. He had stopped and started listening to Lydia and Jackson argue about something.

"Y-you don't wanna-AHH" I screamed when I felt my ribcage shift again.

"What's happening to her?" Allison cried out.

"I-I don't know." Stiles responded sounding like he himself was getting close to tears.

"Scott…don't let it control you. Remember who you are." I pleaded and Scott started to breathe heavy like he was trying to fight it.

"Can you two shut up for like half a second?!" Stiles yelled at Lydia and Jackson shutting them up.

"Where's Scott? He should be back by now." Allison ran her hand through her hair as Scott stood just on the other side of the door.

"R-remember your heart, Scott. L-listen to your heart." I pleased before everything started to spin.

"Maggie? MAGGIE!" Stiles was screaming as everything started to grow dark and I blacked out.

**[Scott's POV]**

When I heard Maggie's voice in my head it was like a light growing in darkness.

_"F-fight it Ss-scott. Fight it."_

My primal urge was telling me to climb the stairs and kill everyone that's breathing but her voice was starting to grow louder as my body moved involuntarily.

_"Scott…don't let it control you. Remember who you are."_

As I reached the door I could hear Lydia and Jackson arguing about something, Allison was pacing and Stiles heart was beating a mile a minute with the stench of terror radiating through the door as I put the key inside and turned it.

_"R-remember your heart, Scott. L-listen to your heart."_

I put my hand against the door and stopped myself as memories starting flying through my head like the time Maggie had latched with me. Memories of meeting Stiles and Maggie, growing up together, good times with our families, Stiles and I growing to be brothers after Maggie left and then meeting Allison. Every moment I've ever laid eyes on her started flooding my thoughts and I suddenly felt more in control. Stiles started screaming for Maggie as I broke the key off in the door and ran for it. The sound of sirens filled the air as I managed to harness my wolf. I ran for the doors and was met by Sheriff Stilinski.

"Scott! Are you okay? Where is everyone else?" He asked gripping my shoulder.

"They're in the chem lab upstairs. I'll take you." He stopped me by putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Wait outside son." He ran inside with a few more officers trailing him and came out carrying Maggie in his arms with Stiles following closely behind.

"We need a stretcher over here." He shouted and the EMT's rushed over.

"What happened?" I asked Stiles who looked alarmed.

"She started going into a seizure and then just blacked out. I don't know what happened." He raked his hands through his hair as they started to hook her up to machines and check her vitals. I could hear her heartbeat but something felt off. It was like she wasn't really in there. Stiles and I gave our story to the Sheriff and he started to check up on it as we stood with the EMT's. After about an hour he walked out and looked over at us.

"Are you sure it was Derek Hale?" He asked.

"Yes." I said for the millionth time.

"I saw him too." Stiles backed me up but kept his eyes on Maggie.

"What about the janitor?" I asked finding it hard to believe that the pieces weren't coming together.

"We're still looking." The Sheriff rubbed his head.

"Did you look under the bleachers? Under them." I tried to get my point across and he finally looked at me annoyed.

"Yeah Scott we looked! We pulled them out just like you asked. There's nothing." He explained.

"I'm not making this up." I defended.

"I know, I believe you. I really do." He sighed making me realize he really didn't believe me. It was more of a humoring thing.

"No you don't. You have this look like you feel bad for me. Like you want to believe me but I know you don't." I said watching his face fall.

"Look, we're gonna search this whole school and we're gonna find him okay? I promise. For now, I've got a crime scene to process and a girl that's in my custody in a coma state so please just try to bear with me." Sheriff said making us all look over at Maggie who was still unresponsive on the stretcher. He was called away by another officer and I looked at Stiles.

"Well we survived dude. We outlasted the alpha. We're still alive and with any luck Maggie won't remember any of today so that's a plus." Stiles said almost trying to believe it himself.

"When we were in the chemistry room you don't think he heard us? He walked right by us. You think he didn't know exactly where we were?" I questioned.

"Then how come we're still alive?" Stiles questioned right back like everything was going to be okay.

"It wants me in its pack but I think first I have to get rid of my old pack." I said trying to connect the pieces in my head.

"What do you mean? What old pack?" Stiles crossed his arms over his chest.

"Allison, Jackson, Lydia…you and Maggie." The face Stiles made when I explained it to him told me he knew what I was getting at.

"The alpha doesn't want to kill us, he wants you to do it." Stiles said the words aloud and I turned away from him.

"That's not even the worst part." I added.

"How in holy hell is that not the worst part?!" Stiles threw his arms out raising his voice clearly upset.

"Because when he made me shift…I wanted to do it. I wanted to kill you…all of you. If it weren't for Maggie then I'd probably have done it." I said shaking my head.

"What do you mean? Maggie was a bit busy having a seizure." Stiles pointed out.

"It was like she was in my head talking to me. It was like her voice was battling with the alpha's voice controlling my primal urge to kill you guys." I said making Stiles bite his lip.

"How could she possibly do that though? I mean, the whole witch thing is new to me but does she have that ability?" He asked.

"I don't think so. I think she has some sort of connection with the alpha." I looked at him to see his jaw slacked a bit.

"You don't think she's like a hybrid-" I cut him off when I caught eyes of who was being bandaged up in the back of another ambulance. Stiles followed me as I walked across the lot to where Dr. Deaton sat.

"There you are." He greeted me brightly.

"How…how did you-" He cut me off.

"Get out? Not easily but from what they tell me I'm alive because of you. I think I owe you a raise." He smiled.

"Come on guys, let the EMT's do their jobs." The Sheriff pulled us away from Dr. Deaton.

"Look, I'm not going to be able to go with Maggie to the hospital-" Stiles cut his dad off.

"I'll go dad. It's no problem." He volunteered making his dad shake his head. I caught sight of Allison and darted down the lot towards her.

"Allison…are you okay?" I asked seeing she was clearly mad at me.

"My dad's on his way." She wouldn't meet my eyes and she had her arms crossed over her chest.

"Do you need anything…from me? Do you want me to go with you?" I asked hopeful.

"No…I don't." She said quickly and sternly.

"Okay." I wasn't sure what to say in this situation.

"I also don't know what happened to you in there or with Maggie. I don't know what you were thinking or if you even were thinking but right now I don't feel like I can trust you." She looked into my eyes as tears filled her own.

"Allison, I can explain." She shook her head.

"I don't care-" I cut her off.

"Allison, please just don't say anything else." She started trying to stop me but I was too afraid of what she might say next.

"Please just stop. Just don't say anything. Stiles is going to the hospital with Maggie and I need to check in with my mom before I check on her condition and I'm going to get a new phone tomorrow morning." She tilted her head at me.

"Scott…" She said with such sadness it was like being knifed.

"I'm going to get a new phone and I'm going to call you tomorrow morning." I said quickly.

"Don't…don't call." I stood there completely halted by everything that was going on. It was like her pain was running through my veins on top of my own pain.

"Just…please don't call me." I watched her walk away from heartbroken and feeling every part of my body stinging with pain that even my wolf couldn't take away. I just lost the only girl I've ever loved because of this curse and all I could focus on was the pain.


	13. Drunken Dreams and Realistic Nightmares

**[Maggie's POV]**

_I walked in the cold, dark fog of the forest without shoes and it felt so deadly quiet, I was unnerved every step I took. I wasn't sure how I got here but I knew I was lost. There was nothing in the distance but trees and darkness. I tried to listen for the first sound I could hear other then my heartbeat but it was deathly quiet. Finally I thought I heard whispers and I spoke._

_"Scott?" I called out looking around._

_"Stiles? Where are you?" I called out again getting nervous. I didn't expect anyone to answer but I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard the growl._

_"You should know better than to interfere where you don't belong, darling girl." The voice was that of a man but I didn't recognize it._

_"Who are you?! What do you want?" I yelled looking around frantically._

_"For you to stay out of my way before you get hurt." The voice growled and I could hear my heartbeat rising._

_"I'm not afraid of you." I said hoping whoever was speaking couldn't hear my heartbeat._

_"How about now?" The voice spoke once more before something ran up on me quickly and gripped my throat. I could actually feel myself going breathless as images of Karen being killed and myself lying bloodied in a crying Stiles's lap flashed before my eyes._

I opened my eyes and gasped for air. The first thing my eyes met were florescent lights that were practically blinding.

"Hey! Hey she's awake!" I heard Stiles voice and looked over at him as he jumped out of the chair that was placed next to my bed. Melissa and another doctor walked in to look me over.

"How are you feeling Maggie?" The man asked me.

"My head hurts and I'm starving. What happened?" I asked rubbing my head and stomach at the same time.

"You suffered a psychogenic seizure which is a seizure induced by high emotional stress situations. You should be fine. There's no permanent damage but you do need to take it easy for a few days." The doctor said. I nodded at him and he left the room.

"I'll see if I can find you something to eat sweetie. Try and rest some." Melissa said squeezing my shoulder. I looked over at Stiles the moment she walked out of the room.

"Is everyone okay? Did they get out okay? How about Scott?" I was asking all at once and tried to sit up but I felt dizzy.

"Calm down Maggie, everyone is alright and Scott got out okay. His relationship with Allison didn't really make it out but other than that there was no body count." Stiles pushed on my shoulder so I would lie back down. I tried to wrap my head around everything that was going on as I looked around the room.

"Do you remember anything that happened?" Stiles asked sitting back down in the chair.

"I remember some of it but I have a feeling I don't remember everything that happened…I guess I should thank you for saving my life." I said seeing a blush creep up on his face.

"Anytime." He smiled.

"You said there was no body count…does that mean Derek's okay?" I asked hopeful but he shook his head.

"They didn't find him or the janitor. Cops are looking for him though." Stiles explained.

"How long have I been in here?" I asked getting another hunger pain.

"Two days. They closed the school so they could investigate so you haven't really missed anything." Stiles said. There was a moment of silence before he cleared his throat.

"Do…do you remember what you told me about my mom's funeral? About being there?" He asked me nervously.

"I remember." I said simply.

"I have a lot of questions for you." Stiles went to lean on the bed and I moved away catching his eye.

"Scott and Allison broke up? How's he handling it?" I asked changing the subject.

"He's miserable, hasn't left his room since after he found out that you were okay. I've been giving him status updates." Stiles said furrowing his eyebrows.

"You should go be there for him. He needs a friend right now since this is his first heartbreak." I said looking down at my hands. He was quiet for a moment before sighing.

"Is it bad to admit I prayed that part of your memory would be gone?" He spoke and it was raspy like he had something caught in his throat.

"I guess you're just being honest but I really think you should go check on Scott." I said biting my lip. The pain of Stiles betrayal was still very much on the surface as I tried not to look at him.

"I don't…I don't want to check on Scott. I want to be here with you and fix this." Stiles whispered. I just shook my head at him.

"There's nothing to fix, Stiles. You kept your promise. We made it out of the school alive so mission accomplished. I may not remember every detail of that night but the day is burned very clearly into my head." Stiles looked down at his hands now.

"Your one moment of spite could cost me and my family our lives and I…I can't even look at you and not be upset." I choked my emotions down and Stiles shook his head.

"I-I know what I did was beyond shitty but I will do anything to make it up to you." He finally looked up and I glanced over at him seeing his cheeks blotched. He normally gets blotchy cheeks when he's angry or running but something tells me it was because he was upset himself.

"You can't make it up to me, Stiles. If something happens to Karen because word got out that I was back in town, I will never be able to live with myself. Don't you get that? They didn't think coming here was a good idea in the first place. I'm the one who wanted to come home. Whatever happens to them-" Stiles stood up cutting me off.

"Nothing is going to happen to them or you for that matter. I won't let it. I will protect you, my dad will protect you, and all of us will protect you, Maggie. Please just give me another chance." Stiles reached out and I put my hands up.

"Stiles please…just stop." I looked up at him and he looked almost as pained as I did. Before either one of us could speak there was a knock at the door.

"It's good to see you awake finally. I come with some good news." It was Sheriff Stilinski.

"I could use some of that." I sighed trying to be discrete as I wiped my face but the tears started flowing when Karen walked into the doorway.

"Hey sweetheart." Karen smiled at me and I broke down putting my arms out. She strided to the bed and sat down as she threw her arms around me tightly.

"I'm so glad you're home." I cried into her hair. I saw Stiles move over next to his father who was smiling a sad smile.

"Thank you for brining her back to me." I said looking at John.

"It was my pleasure." He said giving Karen a nod.

"We have a lot we need to talk about." Karen said stroking my hair.

"We'll leave you two alone. Give me a call when you decide what your next move is Karen." John said confusing me but she shook her head at him again before he pulled Stiles out of the room behind him. Karen got up and shut the door before looking back at me.

"I'm so sorry I had to leave like that." She sat down hugging me tighter this time.

"I got your message. Did you find Louis?" I asked seeing her baby bump increasing.

"Yes I did but he didn't come back with me. He's working on setting things up at our move." She said eyeing me.

"M-move? We're moving?" I asked feeling my heart sink.

"Somehow the town knows who we are and what we are. It's only a matter of time before your father comes looking. It's just not safe for us here anymore. Not with him still out there." Karen explained. I didn't have the heart to tell her it was Stiles's fault that the town knows about us. I was too disappointed and I didn't want her to be mad at me now that I just got her back.

"What can you tell me about my father?" I asked seeing the confusion on Karen's face.

"Why are you interested?" She asked.

"The other night when we got trapped in the school we were being chased by the alpha that bit Scott. He wants him to be a part of his pack I guess but every time he got close I felt like I was going to be ill. It was like we were connected in some sort of way but I couldn't put my finger on it." I explained.

"What are you asking me, Maggie?" Karen asked.

"I guess I was just wondering if he was a werewolf. I've latched onto Scott before but this time it was different. It was like I was battling with the alpha in Scott's mind. If he was a werewolf then maybe I have that ability?" I looked at Karen who stared at me with concern.

"Listen to me, what your father is, is a monster. The only real father you ever had disappeared conveniently before your mother could marry him. I promise the moment we get out of Beacon Hills I will sit down and tell you all about your father, okay?" She gripped my hands and I felt relaxed. I shook my head at her before pulling her into another hug. My emotions overwhelmed me and I started crying into her shoulder again. Between getting her back, losing Stiles and having to move once more, I think it was safe to say my emotions were fried.

**[Stiles's POV]**

I sat in the guest room that Maggie used to sleep in and looked at the left over box of her things. Karen had picked up her things the same night she was released from the hospital. The house felt empty now that she was gone. I was used to being alone before she came back but now it was almost unbearable to be at home alone.

"Hey kiddo, what are you doing in here?" Dad saw me sitting with the box open and some of the pictures in my lap.

"I found some extra things of Maggie's." I said not looking up at him.

"Did you want to tell me why I got a call from your lacrosse coach asking about your attack?" I looked at him confused.

"Apparently he was worried that he didn't remember to call me when Maggie attacked you with lacrosse balls on the field. Care to explain?" He crossed his arms over his chest and I sighed.

"I just managed to screw everything up like I always do. She had every right to attack me." I put the box back on the floor and walked out of the room but he followed.

"Should I call Karen?" He asked.

"No Dad, it's not like we were in the sandbox and she threw sand at me. I screwed up and ruined her life. I was lucky I got off so easy." I said honestly sitting at my desk.

"I doubt you ruined her life, son. Just tell me what you did." He sat down on my bed and I spun around in my chair.

"I told someone her real last name and they told the whole school…along with some other choice things about her family history." I said seeing my dad's jaw drop.

"How could…why would…you do know why she goes by her aunt's last name. Why would you do that?" He asked sounding almost as baffled and upset as Maggie.

"I wasn't thinking. It was before things got good between us and I was angry at her. If I could take it back, I would." I said but my dad shook his head.

"I don't think you know what you've done. This could mean a lot of trouble for Maggie and her family." He stood up and I stood up too.

"But we'll protect them, right? We can do that. I won't let anything happen to her." I said firmly but he frowned.

"I take it she didn't tell Karen it was you who outted them since she invited us to dinner tomorrow night." I thought for sure Maggie would tell Karen about what happened at school.

"I'm really disappointed in you, Stiles. S-sometimes you've got to think before you open your mouth. It could cost them a lot more than their reputation. It could cost them their life." Dad dropped his head and walked out of the room to make a phone call. I'd much rather he is mad at me then disappointed. I'm definitely one of those kids who preferred the screaming rather than the shameful look. That look that he gave me before leaving me to let the guilt sink in. I looked down at the pictures I'd taken out of the box before opening my phone to look at some of the pictures I'd taken the other day before I managed to completely screw up all the progress Maggie and I had made towards becoming good friends again

.

_**.::Flashback::.** _

I was sitting at the computer doing my English homework and Maggie had her headphones in as she did her Math homework. We spent a lot of our down time like this now that we've settled into a comfortable silence. She would hum along to the songs playing and it reminded me of how much she loved music when we were kids. Her mom always pushed her to sing aloud but I knew she didn't like the attention. I encouraged it but didn't push her. I'd always end up tapping my pencil along to her humming and dad often commented on us starting a homework band. I'd glance at her in the reflection of my monitor every now and again and she'd be biting the top of her pencil moving her lips to the lyrics that filled her head but she'd never speak them aloud. When she finally did it caught me off guard.

" _I want you to want me. I need you to need me. I'd love you to love me. I'm beggin' you to beg me._ " I turned around and looked at her and she looked up biting her lip.

"Sorry." She apologized.

"Why are you apologizing?" I laughed.

"Cheap Trick sort of overpowered me. I didn't mean to distract you." She explained and I turned my chair around to face her.

"You just sang out loud, wonderfully I might add." I complimented and she blushed.

"I guess I felt comfortable enough to in that moment. Now that you're staring at me I'm just embarrassed." She said pulling her headphones out. I got up and sat on the bed next to her.

"Don't be embarrassed. I've done a lot of strange things that you've been a witness to. All you did was sing. If I promise not to stare at you do you think you'll sing some more?" I asked her hopeful. Her eyes got wide and she gripped my forearm.

"Oh! This song! I love this song. It's a lost song." She said jumping up.

"What's a _lost_ song?" I asked earning a strange look. She pulled on my arm and laid down on the bed. It was the first time we had laid in my bed next to each other like this and I felt a bit nervous.

"A lost song is on you turn on, close your eyes and lay down to listen to. You get lost in the music and feel like you're in your favorite place in the world with your favorite people surrounding you. That's what a lost song is." She put the ipod on my adapter and shut the door to my room before jumping on the bed next to me.

"It starts slow but just close your eyes and let it take you, okay?" She explained as the song started. I closed my eyes like she told me to do and tried to clear my busy mind.

" _We didn't need a story. We didn't need a real world. We just had to keep walking and we became the stories, we became the places_." I opened my eyes when Maggie started whispering along with the lyrics.

" _We were the lights, the deserts, the faraway worlds. We were you before you even existed_." I watched her lips move as she spoke and I thought for a second about what kissing her would be like but quickly decided to just close my eyes before she caught me staring at her.

A million thoughts were running through my head but I lay silently with my eyes closed as the song continued to play. I tried to focus on the music and when I did thought about Maggie and I playing as kids in my backyard. I couldn't fight the smile that tugged on my face. I let my hand fall from my chest next to me and it landed on top of Maggie's. She turned her hand over and laced her fingers with my own. I still didn't open my eyes because I thought maybe Maggie had opened hers to look at me but when she started to sing along to the song I opened them again to stare at her.

Lately it was starting to scare me how much I noticed her features. How her hair was so brown it reminded me of chocolate or how when she smiled her cheeks made her look like a cute chipmunk or how she looked at herself in the mirror and smiled softly like she was pleased with how she looked but wasn't blown away.

She opened her eyes and laughed as the song went off.

"You promised not to stare." She let go of my hand to cover her face and I sat up on my elbow.

"Can I ask you something?" I said making her peek through her fingers.

"What?" She asked muffled.

"Do you know how pretty you are? I mean like in the general sense. Do you know how appealing you are to the human eye?" I asked trying not to make things weird. Her hands came down slowly and she eyed me.

"I'm not trying to creep you out or anything I just thought I would ask considering you and I are so close and you've always had kind of crappy self esteem but then again so have I so I guess I just thought I'd ask now that we're older and you've…filled out." I realized my word choice was bad and she laughed.

"Are you calling me fat?" She asked and my jaw dropped.

"No! I mean like…you know never mind. I'm an idiot." I gestured to her chest and her eyes went wide before bursting into fits of laughter. I had managed to humiliate myself in a matter of seconds.

"I don't know if I should be offended or flattered that you've noticed my…" She mocked my gesture of her chest and I closed my eyes.

"I was just trying to figure out if you knew you were beautiful. No need to mock." When I didn't hear her laugh I opened my eyes.

"You think I'm beautiful?" She asked seriously.

"Well…yeah I mean I have eyes." I said rolling my eyes. She smiled at me and pursed her lip. Something I noticed she did whenever she was embarrassed. When she finally looked at me she sighed.

"While I appreciate your insight it makes me sad you don't see yourself as an attractive guy." She said making me snort.

"Have you seen the guys we go to school with? I don't have a Jackson jaw line or dough eyes like Danny. Hell I don't even have a shaggy hair like Scott. I'm a lanky, slack jawed, funny guy. I'm pretty much hopeless until Seventeen magazine declares sarcasm as sexy." I said making her frown.

"You don't need any of those things to make you attractive because you have something they don't." She said making me huff.

"What's that?" I inquired curiously but she responded by blowing her cheeks out to look like a blowfish.

"What the hell?" I laughed and she pointed at my face.

"THAT! Your smile. You have a great smile that really shows off just how attractive you really are. You smile with your eyes when it's something that really makes you happy." She said smiling back at me.

"My mom always said I smiled differently with you in pictures." I admitted and she reached for my phone on the nightstand.

"Then we should take one so you can look at it and remind yourself that when you're smiling, you can compete with any of those guys at school." She said holding the phone up. I scooted closer to her and she leaned into my shoulder to take the picture.

"Think: Sexy Stiles!" She said making me smile before she hit the button. She turned the phone around and laughed.

"See! Look at that hotness." She laughed as I stared at the picture from over her shoulder.

"Yeah we make a pretty good couple- I mean pair." I corrected myself instantly and Maggie bit her lip again. I was starting to think the lip bit meant something else.

_**.::End Flashback::.** _

I closed my phone and wiped a hand over my face unwilling to let my mind take me down memory lane any further.

"I need a distraction. Come on distraction." I turned on my computer and pulled up my iTunes to see the playlist Maggie had been making for me.

"Screw this." I got up abruptly and stormed through my house not hearing my dad anywhere. I grabbed his bottle of whiskey and coat before heading out to retrieve the only friend I seemed to have left. He was of course kicking and screaming the whole way out to the woods but I knew it was mostly because he didn't want to put pants on and face the world.

"Where are we going?" He asked as we walked behind me.

"You'll see." I said carrying the bag over my shoulder.

"We really shouldn't be out here. My mom is in a constant state of freak out since what happened at the school." He said glancing back at the Jeep.

"Well your mom isn't the sheriff so there's no comparison, trust me." I said putting down his worries.

"Can you at least tell me what we're doing out here?" He nagged.

"Yes, when your best friend gets dumped-" He cut me off.

"I didn't get dumped, we're taking a break." Scott defended.

"Alright when your best friend gets told by his girlfriend that they're taking a break and your other best friend tells you they hate you and want nothing to do with you, you get drunk." I held up the bottle and Scott rolled his eyes at me. We got situated on some rocks and built a small fire before cracking the lid on the Jack Daniels and taking some hardy swigs. Time must have flown by because before I knew it I was on my back unable to focus my eyes on anything around me.

"Dude she's just one girl. There are so many girls in the world, like billions of girls in the sea." I said unsure of what exactly I meant.

"There's fish in the sea." Scott corrected.

"Fish? Why are you talking about fish? I'm talking about girls. I love girls. Especially ones with strawberry blonde hair and big brown eyes." I pursed my lips together and they felt numb.

"I thought Lydia had green eyes?" Scott asked.

"Then who has brown eyes?" I asked.

"Maggie does." Scott said making me laugh.

"Oh that's right. Could you imagine Maggie as a strawberry blonde?" I laughed to myself.

"No I couldn't but I don't see what one has to do with another." Scott said poking at the fire.

"BECAUSE! They're both my girls but one of them doesn't know I exist and the other wishes I didn't." I said taking another swig of the burning liquid.

"Well you kind of deserve that considering you ratted her out to Lydia." Scott was bringing me down.

"Hey you're not happy yet. Take a drink." I handed him the bottle but he pushed it away.

"I don't want anymore." He said lamely.

"You're not drunk?" I asked curiously.

"I'm not anything." He looked away from me and I tapped his leg.

"Maybe it's like not needing your inhaler anymore, you know? Maybe you can't get drunk as a wolf. Am I drunk?" I asked him.

"No you're wasted." Scott chuckled slightly but shook his head and was back to frowning.

"Yeaaah! Do you think Maggie will ever forgive me for ruining her life? Maybe I should call her or something?" I asked unable to actually see my screen on my phone.

"I think Maggie's been in love with you for years and she'd probably forgive you for just about anything." I wasn't sure I heard Scott right.

"Maggie loves me like a brother?" I asked.

"No she loves _me_ like a brother. She loves you like I love Allison." It had to be the alcohol messing up Scott's words because there is no way Maggie was in love with me.

"Look man I know it hurts, I know…well I don't know but I know that as much as being broken up hurts being alone is way worse." I said earning a confused look from Scott.

"That didn't make any sense. You don't make any sense. I need another drink." I laughed reaching for the bottle but it was ripped out of my grasp.

"Well look at the two little bitches gettin' they drink on." Some random guy and his friend practically appeared out of thin air

"Give it back." Scott said in a tone I hadn't heard before.

"What's that little man?" The guy that took the bottle asked stepping closer to him.

"I think he wants a drink." His sidekick spouted off.

"I want the bottle." Scott said again.

"Scott, maybe we should just go?" I said still having trouble moving.

"You brought me here to get me drunk, Stiles. I'm not drunk yet. Now give me the bottle." Scott stood up and get in the guys face but he merely laughed and took a swig.

"Give me the bottle of jack." I watched as Scott's claws started to come out of his hands and I felt a panic.

"Scott?" I said as the guy handed the bottle back terrified. Scott jerked it away and pitched it into the woods making it smash against a tree. I scrambled to my feet and tried to keep up with him as he walked back towards the jeep.

"Okay please tell me it was because of the break up…or because tomorrow's the full moon?" I asked but he didn't respond.

"Are we going home now?" I asked unsure of what we were doing.

"Yeah…something like that." Scott said as I fell back into the passenger seat. He drove for what seemed like awhile before I even we were parked and it was no longer the both of us, just me. I looked up and realized we weren't at my house but Maggie's.

"Scott?" I pushed the door open and called out. I looked around and didn't see anything. I stumbled out of the jeep and feel into the trash cans laughing at myself. The porch light came on and the front door opened.

"Who's out there?" It was Karen.

"It's just Stiles Stilinski, your average trash collector." I said still laying in the trash.

"Maggie, you have a visitor." Karen called Maggie from upstairs and she came down confused.

"He sounds kind of drunk. I guess his dad told him." Karen said confusing me. What was my dad supposed to tell me.

"I'll get him home." Maggie sighed grabbing a jacket before walking outside. She stood over me looking down at me with a frown.

**[Maggie's POV]**

I stared down at Stiles as he was lying pitifully in the trash bags and cans completely wasted.

"Hi Maggie." He greeted me with a drunken smile.

"Why are you here Stiles?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest.

"I don't actually know. I took Scott out to get him drunk so he wouldn't be sad and somehow I ended up here. He was talking crazy stuff so maybe he dropped me here so I could ask you about it." Stiles tried to get up but was failing miserably. I reached in to pull him up and latched onto him seeing a flash of him and Scott out in the woods drinking.

_"Yeaaah! Do you think Maggie will ever forgive me for ruining her life? Maybe I should call her or something?" Stiles asked looking up at Scott from the ground._

_"I think Maggie's been in love with you for years and she'd probably forgive you for just about anything." Scott replied emotionless._

I let go of Stiles letting him fall back into the garbage and felt my cheeks grow warm. How could Scott tell Stiles that? What the hell was he thinking?

"Was that like a help fake out?" Stiles asked laughing as he fell back into the trash. I brushed the comment off and pulled him out of the trash. He stumbled into me and I tried to hold him up.

"You're so small, I really like that. I like being bigger than you." Stiles smiled.

"I can still kick your ass." I said throwing his arm over my shoulders.

"I know but I can pick you up and whisk you away." Stiles let his hand flow loosely in the air as I opened the passenger door to his jeep.

"Or you could whisk me away." He fell back into the jeep and I grumbled to myself as I walked around to the driver side silently cursing Scott. I drove to Stiles house which wasn't too far from my own and saw his dad wasn't home. I reached over and slapped him in the forehead to wake him up.

"What time is your dad coming home?" I asked as he rubbed his forehead.

"Midnight, slappy hands." I looked at the clock and saw it was just turning 11.

"Great, I have an hour to sober you up enough to go to bed and not have your dad notice." I got out of the jeep and walked around to open Stiles door.

"You didn't need to open my door but thanks sweetness." He kissed my forehead and stumbled into my chest.

"Stiles, I'm only helping you to save your father the embarrassment of you being his son right now so don't push your luck." I warned unsure if he was even coherent enough to comprehend what I was saying. I got him inside the house and dropped his keys on the table before attempting to get him up the steps but he tripped and scrapped his ear against the floor.

"Owwww! Rug burn!" He cried and I ran down the steps to the kitchen to grab a bag of ice before returning to sit him up straight. He jumped when I put the bag of ice on the burn.

"You're always taking good care of me Mags. I love that about you. You care about me when no one else does." He said dumbly.

"Plenty of people care about you, Stiles." I said emotionlessly. I wasn't here to stroke Stiles ego. I pulled him up the steps by his arms and he laughed the entire time.

"That was fun. We have a lot of fun together. We always have. Just like when we were kids. You want to know a secret?" He asked tapping my arm.

"No just get up." I said trying to pull him to his feet. If I kept dragging him, he was bound to get more rug burn.

"Lydia Martin wasn't my first crush. I started liking her in the 3rd grade to get over Maggie. Yeah I thought she liked Scott and we actually got into a fist fight for her but I knew Maggie would never like me back so I tried to put all my feelings into Lydia. Just don't tell Maggie or Lydia. They'd be mad." He put his finger to his lips as he swayed on his feet. I looked at him in disbelief. This had to be the alcohol talking because there was no way him and Scott fought or else I'd have heard about it. I got him to his room and he flopped down on his bed groaning.

"Mmm my pillow smells like Maggie." He said clutching the pillow tightly. It was like he had forgotten who I was as he referred to me like I wasn't there. I pulled his shoes off and he flipped over.

"Maggie! You came back! I'm so happy to see you." He sat up quickly and threw his arms around me dragging me onto the bed on top of him. I pushed up and looked down at him as he smiled at me.

"I missed you so much." He said grabbing my face.

"Stiles, I need you to take your jacket off or you'll sweat to death." I said trying to get him to focus.

"Are you staying with me?" He asked looking hopeful.

"Can you put your pajama's on while I get some water?" I asked forcing a smile. He nodded at me happily sitting up to kiss my cheek. I jumped up off of him and ran downstairs trying to calm myself down.

I had to keep reminding myself that in just a few weeks we were moving out of Beacon Hills for good because of what Stiles big mouth did. I grabbed some water and some aspirin as well as a few pieces of bread to hopefully soak up some of the alcohol in his system.

When I got upstairs he was wobbling on his feet in only his boxers trying to put on a gray shirt. I licked my lips looking over his fairly tone back but it was instantly replaced by a pang of guilt when I saw the round ball-shaped bruises covering his chest. I knew it was from last week.

"Maggie! HELP!" He screamed and I put the things on his bed before tugging his shirt over his head. He smiled at me and stumbled.

"Thanks, I got lost for a minute." He jumped onto his bed and I sat down on top of the covers before handing him the aspirin. He took them and stared at the bread.

"Did you make me a sandwich?" He looked excited.

"It's just bread to soak up some of that alcohol. Hopefully you won't get sick if it's all soaked up." He took the bread and scarfed it down.

"You know, I don't know what I'd do without you. I'd probably be in your trashcans still." He laughed at himself. The room filled with silence as I checked my watch. John would be home in about half an hour and Stiles looked like he was on the verge of passing out.

"I dreamed about you the other night. You didn't hate me anymore and you let me kiss you. It was really nice." He chuckled staring at his piece of bread.

"Would you let me kiss you if I tried?" He asked making me look back at him. He was now staring at me.

"You need to get some sleep Stiles." I said not answering his question. He reached to get his water and looked like he was about to fall out of the bed when I tried to catch him and ended up being pulled onto him again.

"I'm not as drunk as I seem. You totally fell for that." He laughed holding my arms tightly. He stared up at me and licked his lips. I've wanted Stiles to kiss me for years but not like this. Not now when everything was screwed up and he was wasted.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked staring down at my lips. I felt my heart beating a mile a minute but I shook my head.

"No." I said shaky.

"Why not?" He asked looking from my lips to my eyes. I sighed pushing up on his chest.

"Because you're drunk and it wouldn't change the fact that we aren't friends anymore." I said swallowing hard. He just stared at me sadly as I moved towards the door.

"You want to know what sucks the most besides losing you as a friend." He spoke to my back and I stopped.

"That I know my mom didn't leave me a letter on what to do when you screw up so bad you hate yourself." I felt tears well up in my eyes but didn't turn around to look at him. I ran out of the house and the whole way home trying to find comfort in my room but I broke down remembering that shortly it wouldn't be mine anymore. It would belong to someone else and I would be miles away from the place and people I loved again.

Thoughts filled my head as I tried to sleep but the moment I slipped into dreamland I felt panicked. There were two men walking through the dark woods and I watched as one of them was ripped to pieces while the other stood completely oblivious. Once he realized he was alone his feet were torn from beneath him and he was being dragged along the forest floor while he screamed for help. He was lifted from the ground and a growl made his pleas more frantic as he was being carried towards a barrel of flames. I felt my heart beating hard as he got closer and when he finally came face to face with the fire I woke up startled covered in sweat. I wiped my forehead and glanced out of the window at the moon as it shined brightly in the night sky. I knew then my connection wasn't with just Scott because he'd never kill two random guys in the woods. Whatever connection I had was to the alpha and the only person I knew who could help me was possibly dead.

As I dressed for school the only thing that went through my mind the next day was finding Scott and calling him out on what he did. As I got out of the car Karen rolled the window down,

"I'll be back in a few hours for that meeting but call me if things start to get rough." She called out to me and I shook my head. I started towards the building when someone bumped into me.

"Hey! I heard what happened. Are you okay?" It was Danny. He put his arms around me and I looked at him strangely.

"I'm as swell. Why are you talking to me?" I asked curiously.

"Look, I don't care about what Lydia was spouting off about. I told her what she did was uncool." Danny explained.

"And you think by talking to me you'll somehow manage to not get caught up in my cloud of shittery?" I warned.

"I don't care what people think, Maggie. That's the luxury of being a nice guy. No matter what people think about you, I'll always be your friend." He smiled bumping my shoulder. I felt some of the anger subside in me and smiled back.

"While I'm glad I've still got a friend in you, it won't be for much longer. I'm moving at the end of the semester." I said for the first time aloud. He frowned such a deep frown I wanted to hug him. Danny was always such a happy guy and to know that my departure made him so sad actually hurt a bit.

"That sucks. Why can't you just go by your original name? I mean we can all pretend not to know." Danny pitched as we walked into the school. People stared but I didn't care.

"What Lydia put out there was true. Well some of it. My birth father has picked off most of my family trying to find me and until last week he thought I was out of the country. Now he's bound to found out I came home. If I stay it could be dangerous for my aunt, who's pregnant and everyone else I care about." I explained seeing his expression still sullen.

"You know what this means right? We'll have to make sure you have a killer rest of the semester. I wouldn't want you leaving here and having complete bad memories." Danny said as we reached our lockers.

"Thanks Danny for everything. I will certainly be telling people about the best gay friend I've ever had." I teased but he rolled his eyes.

"Please, you know I'm the only gay friend you have." He pulled me into a hug and I hugged him back. The vibes I got off of Danny were always positive. I loved that about him. My eyes caught a glimpse of Scott of his shoulder and I felt angry again as I slammed my locker shut.

"I've got to take care of something. I'll talk to you later." I said hearing Danny snort.

"Give em hell, tiger." He said as I walked down the hallway. Scott looked like crap as he slowly moved things around in his locker and he jumped when I slammed it shut.

"What the hell would possess you to not only get Stiles wasted and tell him how I've felt about him since we were kids but to leave him on my front lawn like that? We were practically slaughtered last week and you just left him out like leftovers. He could have been seriously hurt." I seethed through gritted teeth knowing that people were always looking and listening now that they thought I was some evil witch.

"I didn't leave him on the front lawn. He was in his jeep. It's not my fault if he got out." Scott barely even acknowledged me as he reopened his locker.

"Are you kidding me? That's all you've got to say? Fine, forget that you suck at protecting Stiles. How about how you could betray my trust like that?" I pressed but he just sighed and grabbed his books.

"Look I'm really not in the mood to deal with this right now Maggie. We'll talk later." Scott totally blew me off as the bell rang and he ran towards the classroom like he couldn't get away from me fast enough. As the hallway cleared out I still stood shocked out how he completely acted like I wasn't even relevant standing in front of him. I walked to the door after trying to contain my anger and the first person I saw was Stiles sitting in the back of the classroom. He made eye contact with me and gave a slight smile until I looked away.

"-let's get the disappointment over with. Begin." Mr. Harris hit his stop watch and groaned when I walked in looking at him.

"Ms. Carter, I see you've decided that 25% of your grade can simply go to waste seeing as how you didn't think to be on time today." Mr. Harris said clearly annoyed.

"My aunt taught me everything you've being teaching when I was in the 6th grade. I think 2 minutes after the bell won't kill me." The class snickered but his eyes went wide.

"Oh really? How about I just give you an F and send you to the office since she clearly didn't teach you respect." Mr. Harris started writing an office slip and I walked further in to snatch it from him.

"Only to those that deserve it." I said taking the note and walking back out of the door. I was only a few feet away when I heard him yell.

"MR. MCCALL!" I turned around and Scott practically ran me over, knocking me to the ground and continuing to run.

"MR. STILINSKI!" I heard Mr. Harris again and turned my head to see Stiles out in the hallway now. He saw me on the ground and tried to help me up but I pushed him away.

"Are you okay?" He asked but I shook my head.

"I'm fine." I brushed my shirt off as we stood there awkwardly.

"Thanks for the other night. My uh- dad wanted to know where all the bread went but he didn't ground me for being drunk so that's a plus." Stiles said nervously.

"I didn't do it for you. I did it for your dad. He doesn't deserve to question his parenting while his son is out getting wasted and passing out in the open after someone attacked us at the school." I scolded Stiles and he looked down at his feet.

"You're right." He agreed. I looked down and realized Scott had dropped his backpack when he bulldozed me.

"Kind of harsh with Mr. Harris there. The last thing you want to do is be on his bad list, like me." Stiles started to make conversation but I shoved Scott's backpack at him.

"It won't matter soon anyway but you should really focus on why you came out here. Go deal with him. I've got to go to the office anyway." I turned on my heel and left Stiles standing in the hallway. If Scott didn't have time to listen to me then I sure as hell wasn't going to waste my time checking up on him.

**[Stiles's POV]**

I watched Maggie disappear down the hallway before starting my search for Scott. I pulled out my cell and called him but the ringing was close by. I followed the ring to the locker room where I heard the showers running. I carefully walked towards them unsure of what he would be doing in the showers in the middle of school and silently prayed he wasn't wolfed out and ready to kill me but the moment I came around the corner and saw him standing still in his jeans under the water I sighed. He turned the water off and turned around panting.

"Stiles…I can't..." He was breathing heavily.

"What's happening? Are you changing?" I asked but he shook his head hard.

"No…I can't breathe." He said through wheezes. I quickly dug through his backpack for his inhaler that we had long forgotten once he'd gotten the bite but lucky for us it was still tucked safely away. I handed it to him and he looked at me strangely.

"Here take this…come on do it." I demanded and he took a puff instantly relaxing against the tiles. He looked at me confused.

"I was having an asthma attack?!" He asked in disbelief.

"No you were having a panic attack but thinking you were having an asthma attack actually stopped the panic attack…irony." I explained.

"How did you know to do that?" He asked.

"I got really bad anxiety after Maggie left and once my mom died I started getting them pretty bad. Not fun huh?" I said seeing him look a bit concerned.

"That's what happened to Maggie when the alpha was trying to kill us. She was having a panic attack and you knew how to stop them then too." He pointed out.

"Yeah speaking of her, you kind of plowed her over so you might want to apologize for that later." I sat his backpack down and he shook his head.

"She was pissed before that. I blew her off in the hallway earlier because I couldn't think about anything else but getting to talk to Allison today and all it took was for me to look at her and it was like someone had hit me in the ribs with a hammer." Scott explained as I shoved my hands in my pockets.

"Yeah it's called heartbreak. There are about 2 billion songs written about it." I said with a shrug.

"I can't stop thinking about her." Scott tugged at his hair.

"Well you can think about this: her dad's a werewolf hunter and you're a werewolf so it was bound to become an issue." I joked earning a death glare.

"That wasn't helpful. Dude yeah you got dumped and it's supposed to suck." I wasn't sure what to say to him. I had no experience as far as this was concerned.

"No that's not it. It feels like I can feel everything in the room, everyone's emotions." Scott went into detail.

"It's got to be the full moon so we'll lock you up later in your room like we planned, that way the alpha, who I still think is your boss, can't get to you either." I said but Scott shook his head.

"I think we're going to have to do a lot more than lock me up." He started to look murderous.

"Why because if you get out you'll be caught by hunters?" I asked seeing his eyes grow dark.

"No because if I get out I might kill someone." Scott moved from the shower to his locker and I felt my palms sweating slightly.

"How about you take off the rest of the day then. Just get out of here so nothing else can set you off." I pitched but he shook his head.

"I'll be fine. You should go." Scott said just as the bell went off making me jump. I didn't really want to leave him but he's gaze had turned back to his clothes as I backed out of the locker room. Seeing Scott like that scared me. I always assumed I'd be helping him nurse his broken heart one day but now with his wolfie abilities I wasn't sure I was equipped to. My eyes caught Lydia's strawberry blonde locks in the hallway and Maggie came to mind again. I ran after her and nearly tripped.

"Hey- umf. Lydia can I talk to you for a second?" I asked as she continued to speed walk.

"That was a second." She kept walking.

"Well then for a few minutes. It's important." I added fixing my bag on my shoulder.

"It's important to you, not me." She said still not stopping.

"Look I need your help." I said finally and she stopped making me almost run into her.

"And why would I be helping you?" She asked before resuming her walking.

"Because you managed to take down Maggie and it cost me her friendship. The least you could do is tell her that I wasn't actually involved." I said knowing it was a stretch but worth a shot.

"As far as I'm concerned, she got what she deserved and I thought you didn't like her anyway. Why would I waste my time trying to defend you?" She asked putting her hand out.

"Because I will literally do anything you ask of me without question. Come on Lydia. I'm begging you here." I begged her and she finally let out a sigh like she was considering it.

"Look I'm sorry if you think that by somehow letting people know the truth about your little friend messed things up for you but it's really not my problem. Consider yourself lucky things ended when they did." I was confused by her choice of words.

"Lucky?" I asked for further elaboration.

"I hear she's getting the boot out of here anyway so better now than later." She kept walking but this time I stopped. That couldn't be right. They can't just kick her out for being different. Half this school is full of misfits and they attend just fine. I glanced outside and saw my dad's squad car and remembered what Maggie had said earlier about Mr. Harris not being a problem soon. I raced to the office just in time to see my dad walking in the other direction with Karen and the principal but Maggie sat gathering her things right outside the office.

"What's going on? What happened?" I asked out of breath.

"Karen was meeting with the principal to get my transcripts and your dad's here to make a plan for my safe exit." She didn't look at me as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Safe exit? From where? What are you talking about?" I asked frantically but she stayed strangely calm.

"Did you honestly think parents would be okay with me going here once the truth was out?" She asked me and I rubbed my neck.

"They can't just kick you out. That's ridiculous." I said in a panic. There was no way I was going to let this happen.

"They aren't. Karen and I are moving out of the states once this semester is over. It's not safe for us here anymore." She finally met my gaze and I felt my heart sink to my stomach.

"…no…you can't." I whispered. My worst nightmare was coming true all over again and it was all my fault.

"I guess your queen got her wish, soon enough I'll be gone and out of her hair. Hopefully she thanks you accordingly." Maggie picked up her bag before walking with her head down further down the hallway. I couldn't wrap my head around Maggie leaving again. I refused to believe I was losing her for a second time. I sat down on the bench and put my hand over my mouth in shock.

"What the hell did I do?" I asked aloud to myself feeling the weight of what a stupid mistake I made. I knew the feeling that Scott had described earlier about being hit in the ribs with a hammer at this very moment.


	14. Hymn For The Missing

**[Scott's POV]**

I had gotten a text from Stiles about Maggie but I didn't bother responding. I cleaned myself up and tried to sniff out Allison's scent which wasn't hard to find at all. What I didn't expect was for her to be having lunch with Jackson. I sat outside the cafeteria and listened to the conversation between them.

"Are you doing okay? I mean since the other night." Allison asked.

"Better than I thought I'd be. You still thinking about everything that happened?" Jackson asked her in return.

"Mostly about Scott. I haven't talked to him." She sounded sad which was good I guess.

"It's probably a good idea." Jackson replied smugly. I hit my head against the wall lightly.

"Do you think I made a mistake?" Allison asked Jackson causing me to hit my head harder knowing Jackson was the last person she should be talking to about me.

"No in fact I think he got exactly what he deserved." Jackson's words were fueling my anger as I kept thrusting my head back into the wall until I felt it crack behind me.

"What are you doing? Scott! Stop it." I opened my eyes to see Maggie pulling on my shoulder. She looked at the back of my head and I shook it.

"Get a grip! You can't be doing stupid shit like this out in the open. People will start to wonder why you aren't knocked the hell out." She said kneeling down next to me. I got up so quickly she tumbled over.

"Just…leave me alone." I mumbled before leaving her on the floor stunned.

By the end of the day, all I could think about was pounding Jackson at practice to get him back for what he did. I wasn't even paying attention in the locker room when Stiles made temporary first line.

"Stiles-" He cut me off.

"It's Biles, call me Biles or I swear to God I'll kill you." He was too jazzed about being first line even though it was temporary.

"Another thing from here on out, we're switching to Co-Captains. Congratulations McCall." Stiles hit my jersey and I just stared at the coach.

"What?!" Jackson was pissed and though I didn't care I was glad I was under his skin.

"Jackson this takes nothing away from you. This is taking separate strengths and combining them into one unit. It's about taking your unit and McCall's unit and making one big unit. McCall, it's you and Jackson now. Everyone else, asses on the field." Coach blew the whistle as Jackson gave me death glares but I just grabbed my equipment and walked towards the door.

"Dude can you believe this? You're a captain, I'm first line, I'M FIRST FREAKING LINE!" Stiles followed behind me and I just shrugged.

"My dad is going to be stoked. I wonder if Maggie will come to the game. Do you think you could talk to her? Are you not freaking out? I'm freaking out." Stiles was starting to annoy me with his excitement.

"What's the point? It's just a stupid title. Besides I could practically smell the jealousy in there." I said catching his attention.

"Wait, you smell jealousy?" Stiles asked me.

"It must be the full moon. Everything is heightened." I explained seeing the look of curiosity on his face

"Hmm can you pick up on stuff like, I don't know…desire?" He looked away from me.

"What do you mean by desire?" I asked confused and frankly uninterested.

"Like sexual desire." He practically mumbled.

"Sexual desire." I repeated hoping he would catch my distain.

"Yes! Sexual desire, lust, passion, arrrrrousal." Stiles looked away again and this time I followed his gaze to where Lydia was standing at the end of the hallway.

"From Lydia." I added.

"No from general broad sense, can you determine sexual desire?" He asked but I wasn't stupid.

"From Lydia to you." I said once more until he caved.

"Fine! Yes from Lydia to me. Look I kind of asked her for help with Maggie but she said she did me a favor. Why would she do me a favor if she didn't have the slightest bit of feelings for me? I just need to know if I've been wasting my time obsessing over her since the third grade or not. Plus if she likes me then it will make it easier to try and get Maggie on her good side so it's a win-win." Stiles said making me roll my eyes.

"Why not just ask her yourself?" I asked.

"Because for one, I'd rather save myself utter humiliation and two, I've already approached her about helping me with Maggie so it has to be you. Come on man. Please just go up and ask her if she likes me. See if her heartbeat rises. Pheromones come out-" I cut him off.

"Fine." I walked away from him.

"I love you…I LOVE YOU…you're my best friend in the whole world." Stiles added as I approached Lydia. She was talking to someone else but I interrupted anyway.

"Hey Lydia, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked and the gril she was talking to waved goodbye.

"Of course." She turned the corner and I followed her to a more private location. I shut the door behind me as we walked into the coach's office.

"Is this about what happened last week?" Lydia asked.

"I just…ah needed to ask you something." I said trying to focus on my thoughts. She patted the desk for me to sit down next to her but I didn't.

"Do you ah...do you know if Allison still likes me?" I asked feeling pathetic but I had to know.

"Of course she still likes you." Lydia looked surprised by the question but I was relieved.

"Really?" Just knowing that made me feel better.

"She'll always like you…as friends. Just friends." Lydia's words made my chest sink and I immediately felt crushed. I repeated it aloud but couldn't hear myself. I'm sure I sounded like a pitiful dog letting those two words roll out of my mouth.

"If you ask me, but of course nobody asks me, she made a big mistake. Ask me how I know that." Lydia got up from the desk as I stood there seething.

"How?" I didn't really care how I just wanted to not being this angry.

"Because I know you locked us in there to protect us. And I know when a guy risks his life for you, you should be grateful." I knew what Lydia was doing but at this point I honestly didn't care.

"Are you grateful?" I looked up and asked her.

"I think you'd be pretty surprised at just how grateful I can be." She slithered back towards me putting her hand on my chest before running it up my neck and pulling my lips to hers. We kissed roughly and after a few moments I started to drag my fingers up and down her back as she gripped my hair tightly. Her lips were nothing like Allison's but in that moment I didn't care. I just wanted to feel something that felt remotely like what Allison and I use to have.

"Coach I was just-" I pulled away from Lydia to see Maggie standing in the doorway, eyes wide and jaw slacked.

"What the holy hell?" She said still staring. Lydia flipped her hair and wiped at her mouth.

"I guess I'd better get going. Have a good practice Scott." Lydia smiled at me before walking out of the door. I picked up my stuff and went to follow her out but Maggie shut it and pushed me back.

"Are you out of your freaking mind? How could you kiss Lydia? You just broke up with Allison-" I cut her off.

"No Allison dumped be for trying to protect her. There's a huge difference." I defended.

"Okay how about the fact that Stiles has been in love with Lydia forever? How are you going to explain that one?" She asked.

"Lydia could care less about Stiles! He's kidding himself just as much as you kid yourself thinking he'll ever look at you the way he looks at her. It's pathetic." I said harshly watching her step back.

"Wow…so I guess making out with the girl who ruined my life and caused me to move again is really not a concern of yours huh?" She challenged but I shrugged.

"It's a dog eat dog world Maggie. You lost." I said simply seeing hurt cross over her face. I didn't know what was wrong with me but the longer I stood there the more I wanted to verbally take Maggie down.

"So this is who you've become? Some selfish prick that gets his heartbroken and decides everyone else can just go to hell? That's weak and pathetic Scott!" She yelled.

"No, what's pathetic is you walking around like you have any right to be pissed off at Stiles for what he did when you know that you'd do the same thing if you thought it could get you closer to him. The little crush you've had on him all these years? Please, I'm nowhere near as pathetic as you. As far as I'm concerned you're already gone so just get out of my face and leave already." I raised my voice at her and she tried not to cry as I left the office. I could hear her fighting it even as I walked outside and while I argued with myself in my head about how much of a jerk I was, I couldn't will myself to walk back in there and apologize for losing my mind. It's like my wolf was controlling my body at this point and everyone else who came into contact with me was bound to get snowballed by my rage.

**[Stiles's POV]**

I waited for Scott outside but when I went back towards the school I practically got run over by Maggie.

"Sorry that was my fault- Are you crying?" She had her hand to her face and didn't make eye contact.

"Just leave me alone, please." She was fighting tears so badly as she ran for the parking lot. I figured she was just emotional about having to leave Beacon Hills again so I tried not to over think as Scott came onto the field.

"Hey did you see Maggie? She was pretty upset leaving out of here. I guess the day just caught up with her." I said as Scott sat down next to me and shrugged.

"So did you talk to Lydia?" I asked getting his attention.

"What?" He answered almost sounding confused.

"What do you mean what? Did she say if she liked me? Do you think she'll help me or what?" Scott didn't look at me as he did up his pads.

"Yeah she likes you. In fact, she's totally into you." I was shocked by Scott's confession. I silently celebrated as I noticed Lydia walk over to the bleachers to watch practice. While I was totally jazzed about her being into me, I almost felt guilty like screwing up Maggie's life was some sort of good deed in Lydia's eyes that made me worthy of her affection. I pushed those thoughts from my head as we started drills. Scott had been completed silent as we took the field and I started to worry.

"Scott, you okay dude? I know we just got good news but there's still 7 hours until the full moon." He took off before I even finished talking and two of Jackson's cronies took him down hard.

"I guess some of the players don't appreciate your new status, McCall. Who's next?" I stepped up but Scott jumped back onto his feet and pushed me out of the way.

"That's it McCall. You earn the respect. Earn it McCall." Coach egged Scott on and I knew it was a bad idea as he took off towards the guys again. He completely body checked the two guys who had just put him down and stick whipped Danny in the face mask before scoring. It was way too rough and Danny wasn't getting up which made everyone run towards him. I checked out Danny from over Jackson's shoulder and could see he was dazed to say the least before running over to Scott.

"Dude what the hell are you doing?" I asked taking my helmet off.

"What? He's twice the size of me." Scott defended as the trainers ran over to check on Danny.

"Yeah but everybody likes Danny now everyone's going to hate you." I explained but Scott looked unimpressed.

"I don't care." He said before storming off the field. I turned around to see Lydia run out to check on Danny.

"Is he okay?" She asked Jackson.

"Yeah it's just a bloody nose..." He stared at her and she looked up at him.

"What?" She asked and I could see what he was looking at.

"Your lipstick." He pointed out and she started to check it. It was smudged like she had been making out with someone.

"Oh I wonder how that happened." She started to adjust it.

"Yeah I wonder." Jackson said obviously not being the one who messed up her lipstick which only meant one thing. I turned around and watched Scott leave the field in a huff and knew what was going on. He had completely lost it. I wasn't sure if it was the full moon coming up or because of Allison but I didn't like this Scott.

Coach cancelled the rest of practice which gave me more time to plan for Scott's change tonight but I was still fuming from what had happened but I gathered the chains for tonight in my gym bag along with a few extra things to torture him with for totally breaking bro-code before heading over to his house.

On the way over I gave Maggie a call to check on her.

"Please stop calling me Stiles. I really don't want to talk to you right now." She was still upset.

"Look I know you hate me and are upset about leaving again but-" She cut me off.

"You think that's why I'm upset? Clearly you haven't talked to Scott yet." She said as I walked up to his front door.

"What did he say?" I asked curiously.

"It doesn't matter. He had no problem letting me know he didn't care either way so in a few weeks when I leave it won't matter because I'll be out of both of your lives for good. Let him know that I won't bother letting him know when I leave so I don't disturb his new life." Maggie hung up the phone and I was more confused than I was before. Scott must have told Maggie off which only made me angrier but I knew I had to chain him up. Ignoring him for being a dumbass could get someone killed. I pulled myself together as I went into his house.

When I opened the door his mom looked surprised to see me.

"Scott?" She called out rounding the corner and looking disappointed.

"Stiles." I smiled seeing her confusion as to how I got in.

"Key." She said looking at my hand.

"Yeah I had one made." I said still smiling. I left out the details of stealing Maggie's to copy so she wouldn't get mad or tell Maggie.

"That doesn't surprise me. Scares me but not surprising." She said as I dropped the duffle on the floor to hear the chains rustle.

"What is that?" She asked staring at the bag.

"School project?" I tried earning a sound of contempt but she accepted it anyway.

"Stiles, he's okay right? I mean I know everything with Allison and now Maggie leaving again-" I cut her off.

"Scott? Yeah he's totally-" Her face made me not want to lie so I sort of trailed off.

"He just doesn't talk to me that much anymore. Not like he used to anyway." She looked so sad and I felt bad for her. Scott was being a real dickhead to people and there was no real explanation I could actually give to justify it.

"Well he's had a bit of a rough week." I tried to explain Scott's behavior but I truly hated lying so much to everyone I cared about.

"Yeah I know. I'm sure Maggie leaving again isn't easy for you either. How are you holding up?" She asked putting a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm…" I trailed off and shook my head.

"I understand. I guess I'd better get out of here. You two be careful tonight." She rustled in her purse.

"You too." I said pointing at her and picking the bag back up.

"It's a full moon tonight." Her words caught my attention.

"What?!" I freaked a bit.

"It's a full moon tonight. You should see how the ER gets. It brings out all the nut jobs." She laughed and my chest eased.

"Oh yeah right." I agreed opening the door for her.

"You know it's actually where they came up with the word lunatic." She patted my shoulder as she walked out and I let out a small laugh trying not to verbalize what I was thinking about Scott being a lunatic lately. As I locked the door up I trudged up the stairs to Scott's room with the bag and flipped the light on only to have a mini heart attack seeing Scott sitting in the darkness of the room.

"Oh my God! Dude, you scared the hell out of me. Your mom said you weren't home yet." I said walking towards him.

"Came in through the window." He said with his eyes fixed on me.

"Okay, ah well let's get this set up. You can see what I bought." I said crouching down to open the bag.

"I'll be fine. I'm just gonna lock the door and go to bed early tonight." He said still staring at me like he was going to skin me alive.

"Are you sure about that because you've got this kind of serial killer look in your eyes and I'm kind of hoping it's the full moon taking effect because it's really starting to freak me out." I said too afraid to break the gaze.

"I'm fine, you should just go now." Scott had zero emotion in his voice and I think that's almost what scared me the most.

"Alright I'll leave but could you at least come look at what I bought? Maybe you use it, maybe you don't, sound good?" I asked and he took a moment before slowly getting up to look in the bag. He pulled out the chains and looked at me like he was definitely considering eating my face.

"You think I'm gonna let you put these on and chain me up like a dog?" He asked almost offended.

"Actually no." I took a breath before making my move. I grabbed his wrist and quickly cuffed him to the radiator in his room that sat next to the window. I was shocked I was able to get him cuffed to it myself without getting mauled but he was not happy.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Scott thrashed against the cuffs as I jumped back and stared down at him.

"Protecting you from yourself and giving you some pay back for whatever you did to make Maggie feel like she could just leave and it wouldn't matter…and for making out with Lydia." I sighed but Scott didn't have a response. He continued to fight the cuffs and cuss me out so I walked out of the room to get him some water. Me being the bitter smart ass that I am, I decided to pick up a dog bowl on the way here which I knew would piss him off.

"Brought you some water." I showed him the bowl and smiled as I poured it into the dish before putting it in front of him. It only sat there for a few seconds before he flung it at me.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" He growled at me.

"You kissed her Scott, okay! You kissed Lydia. That's my one…that's like the one girl I ever…" I had to cut myself off because I instantly knew I wasn't completely honest.

"The past few hours I've been thinking it's probably just the full moon, he doesn't even know what he's doing and tomorrow he'll be back to normal. He probably won't even remember what a complete dumbass he's been. A son of a bitch, an unbelievable piece of crap friend. While I might be able to forgive you, it doesn't seem like Maggie ever will. What the hell did you say to her, Scott?" I asked out of breath from my ranting. He stayed quiet for a minute before speaking.

"She kissed me." His words caught me off guard.

"W-what? Maggie kissed you?" I asked.

"Lydia, I didn't kiss her, she kissed me. She would have done a lot more too. You should have seen the way she had her hands all over me. She would have done anything I wanted. ANYTHING!" Scott yelled and I walked out of the room and put my back against the wall trying to keep myself calm. Scott completely lied to me about what Lydia had said and on top of that he was being a douche about it.

"You're a fool if you think Lydia will ever want you, Stiles." Scott seethed through gritted teeth. I knew he was right and I could take shots at him as far as Allison was concerned but I knew I didn't have an excuse. He could blame his total dick behavior on the full moon or heartbreak and I had nothing. I just had to take it. I continued to listen to him struggle and slid down the wall after a while to just make sure I was close by in case of anything going wrong.

"DAMNIT LET ME OUT OF HERE!" He yelled again and I swallowed hard.

"What did you say to Maggie?" I asked again with a broken voice.

"Oh what do you care? You ruined her life remember? I just told her how pathetic it was for her to even pretend to hate you." He said nastily.

"Because she cares about me?" I asked trying to confirm something I thought I remembered Scott saying the night we got drunk, or when I got drunk.

"No because she feels sorry for you. Her and Lydia both." He followed making me shake my head.

"Just…shut up Scott." I said losing my strength.

"The only two girls you've ever had eyes for couldn't pity you more Stiles. How does that feel?" Scott was trying to make me snap.

"Shut up." I repeated.

"You're a pathetic waste of time to them." Scott continued.

"SHUT UP!" I raised my voice but I could tell he was laughing.

"Why else do you think Maggie left me a note all those years ago and not one for you?" I froze.

"What did you just say?" I wasn't sure if I heard him right.

"When we were 10 and Maggie left, she left me a goodbye letter. She didn't bother leaving you one because you are what you've always been…a waste of time." Scott chuckled and I shook my head.

"You're lying." I said in disbelief. Maggie wouldn't have done that. She would have left me something if she could have.

"Just ask her." Scott challenged. Silence fell between us once more and I started to over think things. Did she really leave Scott a note? Did she only care about him? Why wouldn't she leave me a note? Did she have feelings for Scott? Finally Scott stopped fighting and started whimpering.

"Stiles, please let me out. It's the full moon I swear. You know I wouldn't do any of this on purpose." Scott was pleading now. I wanted to believe him so badly but he had totally thrown me into a tail spin as I sat on the floor with my knees to my chest.

"Please Stiles let me out. It's starting to hurt. It's not like the first time. It's the full moon, its Allison breaking up with me. I know it's not just taking a break. She broke up with me and it's killing me. I feel completely hopeless especially now that Maggie's leaving us again. Please…just let me out." He begged and I put my hands over my face before gripping my chin.

"I'm sorry, I can't." I genuinely meant it.

"No...No…AH!" He started screaming and thrashing again and I could only assume he was changing. I covered my ears and tried not to panic as he screamed in agony. It was painful to listen to him like this but I knew I was doing the right thing. When his screaming suddenly stopped and the thrashing went quiet I was concerned.

"Scott, are you okay?" I waited for him to respond but he didn't.

"Scott?" I got up from the floor and looked into the room to see the bloody handcuffs still on the radiator but the window was now open and Scott was missing.

"Oh crap." I breathed running down the stairs and flying out the front door. I jumped in the jeep and realized I had no idea where to start. I knew he would probably try and follow Allison's scent but I didn't know where she could be right now.

I drove past her house and saw her light off in her room so she obviously wasn't home. I kept driving until I saw ambulances and police cars on the side of the road that made panic set it. If Scott had gotten out and hurt someone, I knew he would never forgive himself. I jumped out of the jeep quickly as I saw the ambulance pushing a body with a sheet on it towards the ambulance.

"Dad!? Has anyone seen my dad?" I asked frantic looking for him in the sea of uniforms. I ran up to someone who looked like my dad from behind but it wasn't him. When I saw the messed up arm fall out of the sheet it looked like a man's arm. I felt someone put a hand on my shoulder to stop me but it wasn't my dad.

"Stiles?" I whipped around and saw my dad standing there confused.

"What are you doing here?" He asked me but all I could do was throw my arms around him and hug him. He patted my back as I closed my eyes thanking God for giving me a break this time.

"I'm sorry I just thought…the way my life has been successfully failing lately that something might have happened to you." I explained still hanging onto him.

"I'm okay son. I'm right here." He said trying to calm me. I pulled away and looked at him to see he still looked upset.

"What is it?" I asked seeing him eye the body on the stretcher.

"The body we found…its Louis Carter." He said with a sigh.

"Oh no…Maggie's uncle? What happened to him?" I asked shocked.

"We aren't sure yet but we know the body was burned. We got to him before he was unrecognizable though." Dad explained. I put my hands over my mouth trying to wrap my head around what this meant but Dad put his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm going to need you with me to tell Maggie and Karen. They're going to need support." He said and all I could do was shake my head.

"Yeah…of course." I mumbled knowing that Maggie was already upset about Scott and me. This was going to be one of the hardest conversations I've ever had with her.

**[Scott's POV]**

The moment I got free I took off towards Allison's scent. My hands and feet pounded the forest floor as I blitzed through the trees, unaffected by the cold or the other elements around me. As I got closer to her scent I started picking up on Jackson's scent which made me angry. When I finally found them, they were in Jackson's car together. I felt my blood boiling as images of them making out and putting their hands all over each other flashed before my eyes. I wasn't sure if it was my angry wolf seeing what it wanted to see or if it was actually really happening. All I know is the anger took over and I was bounding across the tops of the other cars until I landed on the top of Jackson's roof.

They started freaking out a bit but before I could rip the top of the roof open and tear Jackson to pieces I was caught off balance and knocked back into the trees behind the car. I looked up surprised to see Derek. I charged him without a second thought and he grabbed my arm, yanking it behind my back.

"Scott! Stop it!" He growled in my ear. I growled back in resistance and he shoved me up against a tree. I spun around to look at him before charging once more. He ducked sending me flying over him before he jumped to his feet quickly. I was starting to get angrier as he dodged me. I knew I needed to get some of this hostility out of me and Derek was the perfect one to take it out on. I tried swinging at him a few times and missed by a long shot before he kicked me backwards. When I finally thought I might land a punch he grabbed a hold of my arm and picked me up, body slamming me onto the hard ground before growling in my face so loudly that it actually scared the anger out of me.

I moved back quickly and kept my eyes on Derek and for the first time since the night in the school, I felt like myself. He stepped closer and managed to shift back into himself but I laid on the ground looking at my claws, feeling my heart beat fast and head spin.

"What's happening to me?" I asked trying to control my wolf.

"Exactly what he wants to happen. You're losing control." Derek said firmly. I backed further up until my back hit the tree. I tried to get up but struggled. Derek actually leaned down and helped me to my feet. I managed to pull myself together on the way to his car and sat silently the whole drive back to my house. He even helped me inside, up the stairs and to my bed. I didn't know what to say. Derek wasn't the friendliest of guys but he actually looked sympathetic right now.

"Thanks." I whispered trying to meet his eyes but he just turned to walk out of my room.

"I screwed up tonight. I almost hurt people…I did hurt people. Stiles and Maggie will probably never speak to me again and I wouldn't blame them. How could I do that? How could I say those things? It's like I lost control and was trapped in my head while this jerk version of myself took over and ruined my life." I said rubbing my hand through my hair.

"They haven't abandoned you yet." Derek said simply.

"I made Stiles feel worthless and literally pushed Maggie out like a piece of trash. She's going to leave again and-" Derek stepped closer looking stunned.

"Maggie's leaving Beacon Hills? Since when?" He asked quickly.

"Since her real name got out and her aunt came back. They don't think it's safe for her here anymore with her dad still out there looking for her. He could be anywhere." I said feeling eager about protecting Maggie again. Derek paced for a second before looking at me.

"I have a feeling he's already here." Derek said making my eyes go wide.

"What?! What do you mean? How do you know that?!" I asked gripping the bed spread tightly.

"She can't leave Beacon Hills. We can't protect her if she's not here for us to protect." Derek explained.

"There's nothing we can do. She's finishing the semester and leaving for good but why do you think her dad's here?" I asked him.

"When the alpha attacked me the other night I connected with him. I saw glimpses of Maggie as a baby. Thing's like her running around with a fat, purple elephant or something." I knew exactly what stuffed animal Derek was talking about. Maggie called it Dr. Plump and she'd actually offered him to me once when I had gotten really upset about my dad leaving. The memory alone made me want to punch myself for what I did to her earlier.

"There was a scent on Maggie that I've never been able to put my finger on. At first I thought it was because she was a witch but the alpha had the same scent." Derek was confusing me.

"What does that mean?" I asked and he rolled his eyes.

"It means…I think the alpha is Maggie's father and if I'm right then Maggie's already in danger." Derek's confession actually made sense. I didn't remember anything about Maggie's real father but all the connections that Maggie has been making to me and the alpha were starting to fit into place.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah I'm pretty sure." Derek confirmed as I put my head in my hands.

"Then her leaving Beacon Hills…it's a good thing, right?" I asked but Derek shook his head.

"If Maggie leaves Beacon Hills, she will die. We can't let her die. It's not an option." Derek was serious and while I still didn't get why he was so protective of Maggie, I appreciated it. He went for the door again and I spoke up.

"I can't do this. I can't be this and be with Allison. I need you to tell me the truth. Is there a cure?" I asked seeing he still looked a bit friendlier then he usually looked.

"For someone who was bitten? I've heard of one but I don't know if it's true." He said giving me hope.

"Well what is it?" I asked anxiously.

"You've got to kill the one that bit you." He said like it was so simple.

"Kill the alpha? Great. The alpha who just so happens to be my best friend's father. That shouldn't be too difficult at all." I said defeated.

"Scott, I don't care who her father is. He's dangerous and will kill her. If you help me find him, I'll help you kill him." Derek stepped closer and was now looking down at me. It was either team up with Derek or let Maggie's father kill her. I nodded at him in a silent agreement in this new partnership. I may have blown it with Allison and Maggie but I wasn't going to let either of them get hurt by this.

**[Maggie's POV]**

"When did we get so much stuff?" Karen asked as she taped up another box. I had managed to get all of my tears out before I got home and immediately face Karen who wanted to start packing up the attic.

"It's not just ours. It's a collection of everyone's so I guess that's why we have so much." I explained knowing that she wasn't looking for a serious answer. She sat down and sighed looking at me.

"I'm sorry things didn't work out here sweetheart. You know if things were different we could make it work but it's just too risky with me unable to control my powers right now." She rubbed her stomach and I nodded.

"There's nothing here for me anymore anyway. I shouldn't have bothered in bringing us back here in the first place." I picked up another box and she grabbed my wrist.

"When are you going to tell me what's going with you? You've got me worried." Karen looked concerned.

"Don't be. Once we're out of Beacon Hills things will get better." I said trying to convince myself.

"Maggie…talk to me." Karen pleaded. I stopped what I was doing to sit in front of her.

"W-who's my father? My real father. The one who is apparently trying to hunt me down and kill me? I want to know what he is." I asked seeing her face grown stunned.

"He's a manipulative, narcissistic psychopath. What more do you want to know?" Karen tried to play it off.

"Is my father a werewolf?" I asked bluntly and her face dropped. There was a moment of silence for a moment before she even tried to attempt a response.

"Why would you think that?" She asked me and I shook my head.

"When we were trapped in the school, I connected with the alpha that bit Scott. I don't know how but that's what sent me into my seizure. None of us know who the alpha actually is but Derek was trying to-" She cut me off.

"Derek? Derek Hale?" She stood up quickly.

"Yes Derek Hale. He's a friend of mine." I explained.

"Do you know what kind of trouble it could cause if people knew you were friends with him?" She said looking shocked.

"He didn't do what Scott said he did. He was Scott's patsy. It's become very clear to me where Scott's priorities lie." I rolled my eyes but Karen continued to pace.

"Derek Hale comes from a family of werewolves and if the hunters find out that you and him are close in any way it could start a war. Werewolves and witches are too powerful. The hunters will take us all out if they think you two are conspiring together." Karen explained what I already knew but I was afraid to argue.

"It won't matter soon anyway. We'll be gone and he'll still be dead. I've got no one here anymore Karen. I don't need a lecture. I know I screwed things up." I got up but she followed me.

"I'm not trying to lecture you. I just don't want you to get hurt and you've got plenty of people here that care about you. Stiles wouldn't leave your bedside when you were in the hospital." Karen said making me laugh.

"Because he feels guilty…Stiles is the reason we have to leave in the first place. He ran his mouth to Lydia and she told everyone. I don't even want to get into Scott who is apparently a complete dick now that Allison's dumped him. He can't wait for me to be gone. The few friends that I do have at school will live without me. So getting mad at me for being friends with Derek is ridiculous because he ended up getting killed like everyone else who has made that very same mistake." I turned away from Karen and she put her hands on my shoulders knowing I was upset.

"Undoubtedly, Stiles made a mistake but you know that he would never intentionally put you in harm's way and its okay to be mad at him and sad that you're leaving him at the same time. I know why coming back here was so important to you and I truly am sorry it didn't work out but I promise you that when things get settled with your father we can try it here again." Karen rested her chin on my shoulder and hugged me.

"No I can't do that. I can't leave here again and come back. I got my second chance here and I blew it. This will be the last time." I felt a tear escape my eye and I quickly wiped it away. Karen turned me around and gripped my face.

"Can't isn't a word that we Steven's women use. We can do anything. You are stronger than this. You are stronger than your father and the ignorant people at school who fear what they don't know. The hunters are right to fear us because we are a force to be reckoned with. You hold all the cards here Maggie. You are young and strong and capable of using your gift to change lives, to change the world. Don't let mistake of the people you care about bring you this far down. Stiles and Scott love you despite whatever happened. You know they do." Karen said wiping another stray tear away.

"For the first time, I'm really not so sure about that." I said shaking my head. Karen walked over to some of the boxed up things and reached into one to retrieve a box.

"This is a box that Evie started for you and sort of got passed along as things changed. I want you to think about the best memory you have with both Stiles and Scott…close your eyes." I did as Karen said and thought about the time we had finished the tree house and spent the night in it for the first time. It was the happiest childhood moment I had with the both of them.

"Now think about something horrible happening to the both of them." Karen's words made me open my eyes.

"What? No." I said not wanting to play this game.

"Please just trust me. Close your eyes and think about the good memory again." I was hesitant but did as she said.

"Be in that moment with them again. Play with them, smile and laugh. Feel your surroundings. Now think about losing them again. Think about something horrible happening to them and not ever being able to see or talk to them again. In my hands is the last stitch of either of them and I'm about to throw it in the fire…3…2…" She was counting down and as my emotions changed drastically I threw my arms out.

"NO!" I opened my eyes and Karen had tossed the box in the air but when I opened my eyes it had frozen in mid air.

"Your emotions can control your surroundings. Your feelings for those boys will always be strong whether you like it or not." I shook my head and the box fell to the ground.

"Did I do that?" I asked her and she smiled.

"Yes, you did." I was excited that I had learned to control another power of mine.

"All you have to do is focus your energy and you can do extraordinary things Maggie." She tucked my hair behind my ear and I looked down at the box wiping the lid off. It had my name on the top.

"What is this?" I asked curiously.

"Every letter Scott and Stiles have sent you after you left. They were sent to the old house and the new owners sent them to the station. Sheriff Stilinski made sure they found their way to you. Your mom always thought they would upset you since you couldn't write back but I think you should have them now." I opened the lid on the box and saw the stacks of envelopes.

"Wow…" I was speechless.

"I think you'd be interested to see when the last ones were sent." Karen picked one out of the top of the box as the doorbell rang. She put her hand on my shoulder before moving towards the steps to go answer the door. I sat down on the floor and looked at the letter. It was from Stiles and it was addressed a week before everything went to shit. I was just about to open it when I heard Karen let out a cry.

"Karen!" I jumped up and ran downstairs to see Sheriff helping her over to the couch and Stiles standing next to him.

"What happened?!" I ran over to her and she shook her head.

"Maggie, I've got some bad news about your uncle." John said as Karen cried into her hands.

"Is he alright?" I asked looking from him to Stiles.

"Mags…" Stiles shook his head with a frown and I knew exactly what that look meant.

"He's dead." Karen said with a raw throat.

"W-what happened?" I asked feeling tears taking over.

"Maybe we should wait on that." Stiles said but Karen shook her head.

"No I want to know. How did he die, John? What happened to him?" Karen tried to control her breathing as I stood shocked against the doorway with Stiles staring at me.

"The coroner said he was stabbed multiple times and the body was burned. He's been dead for a few days. I ID'd the body but we can talk about what you want to do as far as services." John said rubbing Karen's shoulder. I covered my mouth as I sobbed. Stiles put his hand on my shoulder and I didn't shake him off.

"I'm so sorry." John gave his condolences and Karen just looked utterly devastated. When she looked up at me she gave me this look before shaking her head and I instantly felt responsible.

I knew I was going to breakdown but I didn't want to do it in front of everyone so I bolted up the stairs to my room before falling just short of the bed as I cried into the sheets. I cried knowing that I had lost my uncle. I cried that Karen lost her husband and their future child would never know who their father was. I cried knowing it was my fault. I felt a hand on my back and someone pulled me into their chest. For a moment I was okay with that. Letting someone hold me and try to ease my guilt but all it took was for him to speak.

"I'm so sorry Maggie." Stiles words were sincere but that's when it hit me. I pulled out of his grip like he was electrocuting me on the spot and he looked stunned.

"You're sorry? SORRY?!" I shoved him backwards and his eyes went wide.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" I screamed at him seeing his lip being pulled into his mouth by his bottom teeth.

"If you would have kept your damn mouth shut everything would be fine. Now I lost someone else! Why are you even up here Stiles? To comfort me? That's a joke!" I paced getting to my feet and Stiles still hadn't found the words to say.

"I don't know what you want me to say. I don't know how I can get across to you that I'm so sorry for what I did and for betraying your trust. I'm sorry that your uncle got killed and that you are hurting so much right now. I would do anything to make that pain go away." Stiles stepped closer and I put my hands up.

"Then leave. You want to take my pain away then just leave me alone. Pretend I never came back to Beacon Hills because when I finally pull out of here I won't be looking back. I'm going to bury my uncle, finish this semester and get the hell out of here for good. I don't want you to talk to me, look at me or even think about me. We aren't friends, we never were! It's over, Stiles. All of it…so just leave and forget I ever existed." I put my hands on his chest to shove him back towards the door and he gripped my hands pulling me into a vision.

_"Maggie! Maggie, you've got to breathe! Come on! Don't leave me, please don't leave me." Stiles cried as I laid across his lap struggling for air._

_"D-don't cry, Stiles." I felt the blood in my mouth and the earth shattering pain in my chest where blood seemed to pour from._

_"I'm so sorry Maggie. I'll do anything, please just don't leave me. I love you so much." Stiles was pleading as he let tears fall out of his eyes while my blood seeped into his clothes._

I pulled away from Stiles and he looked breathless. I looked at his face as I stepped away from him.

"What was that?" Stiles asked surprising me.

"You saw that?" I asked and he gulped.

"You were…what the hell was that?" He was upset now and I shook my head.

"It wasn't real, don't worry about it." I said crossing my arms over my chest.

"Don't worry about it? I just saw-" I cut him off.

"You didn't see anything. I don't predict the future. So unless you're plotting my death then it was nothing. Now please just…get out." I said sounding so desperate for him to leave that he actually stood there, jaw dropped and on the verge of breaking down himself before making a move to the door. He got to the door before turning around and looking at me.

"I would trade places with your uncle in a heartbeat if I thought it would make up for what I did. I truly am sorry I caused you pain." I didn't look at him as he spoke but when he finished he left the room and I fell back onto my bed to finish crying.

I had no idea what kind of latch that was. That clearly hadn't happened yet but I knew that we were at Derek's burnt down house. I could smell the burned wood and my blood. I went downstairs as I heard the front door open and shut and Karen practically shunned me.

She had left the funeral arrangements on the table and I looked them over. He was being cremated and we were only having a wake in a few days. I went back upstairs and heard Karen crying in her bedroom. I decided to leave her alone for the night and head back up to the attic. I was wiping a stray tear away when I heard the voice.

"You need to tell your aunt to keep using the protection around the house." I was shocked to see Derek alive sitting on a box in the corner looking at something he pulled out of a box.

"Why bother? If I just find my dad and let him kill me, it won't matter anymore and no one else I love will suffer." I felt my heart beat rising as Derek looked up at me slowly.

"I don't ever want to hear you say something so stupid again, got it?" He warned still sitting on the box but looking stern. It was funny how he thought he could just break into my house after I thought he was dead, call me stupid and make demands.

"Look around you Derek. I'm the reason everyone I love dies. No one is safe around me. I can't protect anyone." I said throwing my arms out as tears started to fall again. He started to get up and walk towards me and that made me so angry. I don't know why but all of the things I've been through since that night in the school were coming to a boil and landing on Derek.

"And where were you huh? You're a werewolf! You're supposed to be strong and protect things. Why weren't you there!? Why couldn't you protect him?!" I accused him before hitting him as hard as I could on the chest. One hit felt amazing for a few brief moments so I continued to hit him as I let my emotions take over. Surprisingly, Derek took it. I started to feel tired and worn out and that's when the tears came.

"I'm running out of family and soon enough I'll be all alone…I've got no one." I collapsed against Derek's chest and he wrapped his arms around me tightly hugging me to his chest.

"You've got me. I'm not going anywhere." Derek said into the top of my head. I felt safe and like he didn't blame me for being so weak right now. Derek was never the comforting type but in this moment it was like he was a completely different person. He felt like my only friend in the world at the moment and I was okay with that.


	15. Nothing Left To Say

**[Scott's POV]**

I walked up the sidewalk with my mom towards Karen and Maggie's house. Today was the wake for Louis and even though I've been trying to talk to Maggie for the past few days, she's managed to successfully avoid me. I hadn't seen much of Derek since the night he saved me from hurting Jackson and Allison but I felt him lingering around some days. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I caught sight of Stiles and his dad walking up behind some other people. I had talked to him about being a dick that night I lost my head but I could tell things were still bugging him. My mom hugged the Sheriff and Stiles nodded at me.

"Have you talked to Karen since making the plans?" Mom asked.

"No she's been trying to deal with all of this and the move at the same time. She's still set on moving for some reason." Sheriff explained.

"How about Maggie? Have either of you made any progress?" Mom asked looking between Stiles and I.

"S-she hasn't really been at school. We'll try and get through to her today." I said stuffing my hands in my pockets as we walked up the porch. The house was full of sullen strangers and some people I knew from town. Karen was sitting in a chair with her hands resting on her baby bump. We stood for a few minutes before making our way over to her.

"Hey sweetheart, how are you holding up?" Mom hugged Karen as tightly as her bump would allow.

"About as good as expected. It's tough knowing I'm going to have to raise this one alone." She rubbed her stomach and Stiles dad hugged her as well.

"Once we get this mess worked out you won't have to worry about that. We'll always be here if you need us." He said as Stiles and I glanced at each other as a silent dagger of reality cut through the air. Maggie was still set to leave at the end of the semester which seemed to be quickly approaching.

"Where's Maggie?" Stiles asked earning a strange look from Karen.

"She's up in her room packing. She's trying to keep herself busy." Karen explained gesturing to the steps. Mom gave me a nod and I headed for the stairs. Stiles pulled on my jacket as we made our way up.

"The last time I was here she blamed everything on me. Do you think this is a good idea?" He asked looking fearful.

"I think if we want our best friend back then we both need to start taking some of the blows we deserve." I said reaching her door. It was open and she was sitting on the window seat gazing out at nothing in particular. Boxes were stacked up and her room was almost bare which only made me feel more on edge like we were running out of time.

"H-hey, Karen said you were up here. How are you holding up?" I asked knowing Stiles didn't want to be the first one to say anything. She didn't even look away from the window. She just sat there continuing to ignore us.

"Looks like you've done a pretty good amount of packing." I added earning a sigh from Stiles.

"How are you doing Maggie?" Stiles finally and she moved slightly.

"Let's see, I have exactly one friend I can trust, my uncle was killed leaving my pregnant aunt without a father for her first child and I'm moving to an undisclosed location in a few weeks. I'd say I was crushing it, wouldn't you?" She said without looking back at us.

"Would now be a good time to ask who the one friend is?" Stiles asked. I hit him in the stomach and he shrugged.

"What is it you two want?" She finally looked over at us and I suddenly felt frozen.

"We just wanted to apologize and see how you were holding up." I said innocently but she laughed.

"Is that a joke? You sell me out for a few seconds of Lydia Martin's time and you practically kick me out of Beacon Hills but suddenly you care about how I'm holding up?" She asked pointing at the both of us seeming almost insulted by our presence.

"I don't know how I can possibly convince you that I'm sorry about that, Maggie. I honestly didn't mean for any of this to happen." Stiles pleaded.

"I haven't had the chance to tell you how sorry I am about what I said-" She cut me off.

"You blamed it on the full moon, Scott. What did I miss?" She threw her arms out and frowned knowing she got my messages.

"Look, we're here because we both screwed up and said things we didn't mean. We love you Maggie, you've got to believe that." I said stepping closer to her as she got up from the window seat.

"Do you want to know what I believe? I believe that I won't be here in a few weeks so whether things are good between us or not, it won't matter. Why are you two even bothering?" She asked sadly like she honestly had no clue.

"Because...you're our best friend no matter where you are. We'll do anything to fix this Maggie, just tell us what we have to do." I said seeing something flash in her eyes as she remained quiet for a minute.

"I'm not promising it will fix everything but if you really want a good place to start then I need a favor." She said walking over to her nightstand and opening it.

"Anything." Stiles finally spoke up moving closer to stand next to me.

"Since your mouths seem to keep causing people issues, I think it's time you started cleaning up some of your messes. Starting with the Derek mess. He's been good about avoiding the cops for a few days with being here but-" I cut her off.

"Derek's been here? Why didn't you say anything? Why would he be here?" I asked confused.

"Because he was the only person that I could stand to look at without breaking down, that's why. I get that you guys never feel like you owe him anything even though you threw him under the bus but you sure as hell owe me one so are you going to help or not?" She asked more forcefully this time holding up what looked like Derek's car keys.

The next thing I know, Stiles and I are flying past warehouses trying to avoid the Argent's hunting squad and the police apparently according to Stiles who got a call from his dad to stay indoors all in the name of reclaiming a friendship with Maggie.

"FASTER! MUCH FASTER!" Stiles yelled at me as Kate Argent trailed us. I shifted that car and tried to keep control of it as it reached 90.

"Scott, I don't think you're grasping the concept of a car chase." Stiles said nervously.

"If I go faster, I'll kill us." I defended knowing that crashing at these speeds would make us paint on the road.

"Well if you don't go faster, they'll kill us." Stiles had a good point but as I shifted the car again the headlights in the mirror disappeared.

"They're gone." Stiles said looking at me. He turned on the walkie talkie and it was his dad.

"Be advised: suspect is on foot and running in the metal mill." We took the turn to go towards the metal mill and it didn't take long for us to spot him.

"GET IN!" Stiles yelled at him as he looked at us surprised. He ran over, dodging bullets before jumping in.

"What the hell are you doing with my car?" Derek asked making me glance at him shocked.

"What don't you understand about laying low? This is NOT laying low!" I said driving to safety.

"Damnit! I had him!" Derek exclaimed hitting the dashboard with his fist.

"Who? The Alpha?" Stiles asked.

"YES! He was right in front of me and the stupid police showed up!" He said angrily.

"Hey they're just doing their jobs." Stiles defended but Derek glared at him.

"I almost had him but thanks to you idiots making me the most wanted fugitive in the entire state, he got away." Derek said making me roll my eyes.

"Can we get past that already? I made a dumbass mistake." I admitted.

"Okay so we helped you now it's your turn to help us." Stiles popped up between us from the backseat.

"The cops are after me because of you idiots and you think I owe YOU something?" Derek asked absurdly.

"Well I mean…did you think we saved you because we liked you or something?" Stiles snorted making Derek glare daggers at him.

"Stiles, come on." I said trying to get him to back off.

"What?! I want Maggie to talk to me again and to stop hating me. If that means saving his ass then I will." He said making Derek huff.

"I don't know what Maggie told you but I can't fix your problems for you. From what she told me last night-" Stiles cut him off.

"Last night? What the hell were you doing at her house last night?" Stiles asked curiously.

"She needed someone who didn't send her off in a pre-full moon rage or betray her trust to comfort her and I was there. She needed a friend." Derek explained taking a shot at Stiles and I.

"So you just take advantage of all grieving teenage girls or just Maggie?" Stiles accused making me shake my head. I knew Stiles was scared that Maggie would never forgive him but Derek hasn't done anything yet to hurt Maggie so there was no reason to think he'd start now.

"Stiles, calm down. It's not like he stayed the night or anything." I said but the car got uncomfortably quiet which made me glance over at Derek to see his guilty face.

"I'm sorry Scott what were you saying about Chester the child molester?" Stiles teased making Derek practically spin around in his seat.

"HEY! I never laid a finger on her alright! When her friends are as worthless as you two she's got to have someone to turn to. Besides she was helping me figure some things out about the Alpha." Derek's words caught me off guard.

"But you didn't tell her-" He cut me off.

"No of course not. We're planning to kill him. That would kind of make her less likely to help, don't you think?" Derek pointed out.

"I feel like I've missed something here." Stiles spoke up.

"How did you even find him?" I asked trying to change the subject. Telling Stiles that the Alpha was her father would only lead to him telling her which we couldn't do.

"The last time I talked to my sister she was close to figuring something out. She found two things, first was a guy named Harris." Derek said making Stiles spring from the back seat.

"Our chemistry teacher?" He asked.

"Why him?" I asked confused.

"I don't know yet." Derek raised his voice sounding annoyed to not know the truth.

"What's the second thing?" I asked trying to move the story along.

"This symbol. Maggie's looking into it for me but with the wake going on today and her packing…do you know this?" Derek must have seen me cringe at seeing the sketch of the symbol.

"I've seen it on a necklace...Kate gave it to Allison for her birthday." I said shaking my head.

"You've got to get it back." Derek commanded.

"How exactly am I supposed to do that? We broke up." I pointed out but Derek rolled his eyes.

"I don't care how you get it but you need to get it. Stop here." Derek said as we got closer to Maggie's.

"Where are you going?" I asked baffled.

"I promised Maggie I'd come back and tell her what I found. She's been working on some things to help in case one of us gets hurt facing the Alpha." Derek explained as Stiles huffed from the backseat.

"Working on things? Like spells?" I asked seeing Derek roll his eyes.

"No idiot, like remedies. Just because you guys made her feel like shit doesn't mean she wants anything bad to happen to you." Derek said shutting the door and running off through the houses. Stiles jumped into the front seat and looked at me.

"I don't like him staying the night with Maggie." He said as I started the car back up. I wasn't exactly sure what to do with it except park it in the parking garage where Stiles left his jeep.

"Really? I couldn't tell." I said sarcastically putting the keys back in my pocket to give to Maggie in the morning.

"What are we going to do? We have exactly three weeks to win her back and protect her and the only person she trusts hates us." Stiles slammed the door of the jeep as he got in.

"We'll make things right, Stiles. We just have to prove to her that we made mistakes and that we'd do anything to make it right again." I explained. Stiles just shook his head as he drove me home. I knew things weren't going to be easy and that time was an issue but we've known Maggie since the beginning of time almost. She had to know how much we loved her. She just had to.

I woke up the next day knowing I had a tough mission. I walked into school prepared to somehow steal Allison's necklace without an actual plan when I spotted two guys on either side of Maggie following her down the hall.

"I hear witches can get rough in the sack. How about you give me a go? Come on baby don't be shy." He taunted her and she just ignored them despite how close they were. I clenched my fists and walked towards them. She walked around me to her locker and they stopped dead in their tracks seeing my face.

"Back. Off." I said knowing my eyes flashed golden because of how fast they took off. I jumped when I heard Maggie's locker door slam repeatedly before she started kicking it. The word WITCH was faded now but you could still see it mocking her.

"Maggie, MAGGIE! Calm down." I said making her stop.

"Leave me alone, Scott." She said as she put her hand on the door and mumbled something before the word disappeared.

"You really shouldn't use magic out in the open like that. Someone could see." I pointed out as she finally looked me in the eyes.

"You mean like you just did with those guys? You aren't that scary Scott unless you're wolfing out so don't tell me what to do." She fixed her bag on her shoulder and I gripped her arm.

"Wait, I guess Derek caught up with you. I figure you're bound to see him before I do so here." I put the keys in her hand and she looked at them.

"You know, you guys are wrong about Derek. He's never once looked at me the way you did that day. He's never made me feel like I wasn't worth a damn. When I asked you to help him, it wasn't a good deed for me. It was for you guys to see just how far he goes in order to protect everyone he cares about. Take notes." She pulled her hand from my grasped and walked down the hall. I watched her walk away and sighed to myself knowing that she was right, which I hated. I hated knowing Derek was a better friend to her than I was. I turned to my locker and opened it to get my books out when the door shut suddenly.

"I know what you are, McCall." It was Jackson.

"Uh what?" I asked confused and slightly terrified.

"I know what you are." He said again with a smug smile.

"I'm sorry I have no idea what you're talking about." I said making him laugh.

"Yeah, yeah you do and however it is that you came to be what you are, you're going to get it for me too." Jackson explained.

"Get what for you?" I asked growing tired of this game.

"Whatever it is. A _bite_ , a scratch, sniffing magic fairy dust under the moonlight, I don't care. You're going to get it for me or ah-" He gripped my chin and turned it in the opposite direction to see that Allison was standing in front of the classroom before the bell rung.

"She's going to find out about it too." He smiled at me before taking off down the hallway. A panic set in as I walked towards Allison slowly earning a weak smile. I followed her in and tried to sit down next to her but was bypassed by Lydia.

"Find another row, sweetie." She said making me sit another row back. I hated not talking to her.

"Allison." I said making her glance back.

"Hey…class is about to start." She was trying to blow me off in the most polite way. She even smiled at me slightly.

"I know, I'll shut up I just…I had some things in my phone I thought you might like." I held up my phone and she nodded at me. It gave me hope. I created a message and sent her a few of the pictures of us together hoping it would let her know I still love her but after a few seconds of looking at the pictures she grabbed her things and ran out of the classroom. I quickly chased after her and I could smell tears.

"Allison!" She turned around slowly and there was no hint of a smile anymore.

"Why did you send me those? Are you trying to make me feel even worse for breaking up with you?" She asked on the verge of tears.

"No I just thought you'd like them. I thought they'd remind you of us." I explained.

"Are you trying to hurt me? Get back at me?" She asked throwing me completely. That wasn't what I was trying to do at all.

"No of course not." I stepped closer and she shook her head.

"Please don't talk to me, okay? I need more time to get to just friends, okay? Please." She said before turning away and walking back down the hallway. I went back to class and felt like a total asshole. I didn't think that sending those pictures would make Allison so upset. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her. I thought about what Maggie said about what kind of friend Derek was and it made me feel like such a bad person. I trudged into lunch not really hungry but I had to talk to Stiles. He came running in with his tray and plopped it down next to mine.

"Did you get her to give you the necklace?" He asked getting down to business.

"Not exactly." I said taking a sip of my water.

"Ah what happened?" He asked.

"She ran out of class crying and told me not to talk to her, at all." I said as Stiles took a bite of his chicken.

"So she's not giving you-" I cut him off.

"She's not giving me the damn necklace." I said frustrated.

"Okay well did you learn anything else?" Stiles asked hopeful.

"Yeah that I know absolutely nothing about girls, Derek is apparently the ideal friend and oh Jackson knows about me." Stiles spewed his water on the table.

"I'm sorry, Jackson knows what?" He asked concerned.

"He came up to me in the hallway and practically demanded that I give him the bite, like I could even do that. He knows and he threatened to tell Allison." I explained seeing Stiles eyes go wide before he hit me in the head.

"How could you not tell me this sooner?! Did he actually say the word?" Stiles asked as I rubbed my head.

"What word?" I asked.

"Werewolf?" Stiles whispered.

"No but he seemed convinced." I said watching Stiles gears grinding in his head.

"Screw him. Even if he tells he'll look like a lunatic. We just have to keep him from telling Allison so she doesn't tell her dad." Stiles pointed out.

"As if I don't have enough to worry about." I sighed running my hand through my hair.

"We'll get through this buddy. Just relax." Stiles patted me on the back before eating another piece of his chicken. I glanced over at him and felt guilty.

"Hey, I wanted to say sorry about all that crap that happened when I was out of my head. I didn't mean what I said about you. I hope you know that." I said honestly seeing Stiles face fall a bit.

"Don't worry about it." He shrugged.

"No I am. I need you to know it wasn't true. You're my best friend man. You are the most noble, standup guy I know and Lydia or Maggie or whoever would be lucky to have a guy like you. That's the truth." Stiles looked over at me and chuckled.

"Thanks man. I mean I appreciate that but you still owe me. You were beyond the Jackson level of dick. But I do appreciate the kind words." Stiles said with a laugh making me hit his arm.

"Now let's focus on plan b of this operation which pretty much involved stealing the necklace. Harris is on round the clock protection so he's not even an option." Stiles explained.

"Great." I said looking up and realizing Jackson was staring at me from across the room.

"Stiles he's watching us." I said nodding. Stiles looked and his eyes went wide.

"Act normal." I said trying to focus on my lunch but the sound of him eating his apple made me cringe.

"Scott, can you hear me? You can, can't you?" Jackson was speaking to me from all the way across the room.

"What's wrong?" Stiles must have noticed my panic.

"He's talking to me. He knows I can hear him. Look at me, just talk to me, act like everything's normal." I panicked but Stiles mouth just hung open.

"You're trying to pretend not to hear me?" Jackson spoke again.

"Say something!" I gritted at Stiles.

"I can't think of anything! My mind's a complete blank." He threw his hands up.

"YOUR minds blank!? You can't think of something to say?!" I was shocked that in a time of crisis, Stiles was at a loss for words.

"Not under this kind of pressure. FYI he's not even sitting with them anymore." Stiles pointed out defensive.

"Where the hell is he?" I searched the room until I heard his voice again.

"Looking for me, McCall? I'm right here." He laughed pompously.

"So what else can you do? Can you see better? Are you stronger? More powerful? I knew there was no way you could suddenly get that better at lacrosse, which means you're actually a cheater. Aren't you? Can you even play lacrosse?" I knew he was taunting me but my anger was taking over.

"Yes." I answered him foolishly.

"I bet my new co-captain is going to score a bunch of shots tonight, aren'tcha?" He teased as I gripped onto my water and tray tightly.

"And while you're pretending to not cheat, I'm going to ruin your life if you don't give me what I want and you know what I'm going to start with? Her." I looked up at Allison laughing and eating her lunch with Lydia like everything was okay.

"I'm going to destroy any chance you have left with her and when I'm done with that, I'm gonna get her all alone and I'm going to get my hands all over that tight little body." My rage was building as I tried sipping my water.

"Scott, you can't let him do this. You can't let him have this kind of power over you." Stiles tried to talk me down but Jackson kept talking.

"I'm going to do everything you never got the chance to do. Scott, she's going to beg for more. I bet she's loud, hell maybe even a screamer. I hear your little witch friend is a screamer too. Maybe I'll get them both in my bed, how would that make you feel? How are you going to feel when both the girls you care about are screaming my name?" That did it. I snapped my tray in half making everyone's head turn. I finally found Jackson in the crowd and I glared at him while he just smirked and continued to eat his apple. I'd die before I'd let Jackson touch Maggie or Allison.

**[Maggie's POV]**

I watched Scott run out of the cafeteria after his little outburst and didn't bother to see what the problem was. As much as I cared about Scott, what I saw in his eyes that day when he told me off was something completely different. I wasn't surprised to hear that it was because of the full moon but a part of me thought there might be a bit of personal truth behind his words. I was pulled from my thoughts as Danny plopped down next to me.

"Don't look now but everyone's staring at how stunning you look in that poncho sweater." He said making me roll my eyes.

"Yeah something tells me that's not why they're staring but it was a nice attempt." I said knowing Danny was just trying to take my mind off of things.

"Would it kill you to at least try not to think about the bad stuff? I mean, I think you're in great company as of 5 seconds ago." He said making me look up at him.

"You know I love your company but after my little meltdown this morning, are you sure you really want to be seen with me?" I said knowing that everyone was now talking about how I not only beat the hell out of my locker but used magic to cover up the word that constantly sent fire through my veins.

"Oh so what? You had a little bit of a freak out. Lydia has those daily and people don't treat her like she's got the herp, which reminds me I need new chapstick since I let her borrow mine." I laughed at Danny's attempt to cheer me up by insinuating Lydia had herpes.

"Would it make you feel any better to know that Stiles has been staring at you nonstop since you sat down?" Danny whispered in my ear and I glanced up to see Stiles give me a friendly smile while he ate the rest of his lunch alone.

"No actually it doesn't. He's either staring because he feels guilty or because he wants to apologize again and frankly I'm not in the mood." I explained finally giving up on my food.

"Yeah I'm sure it's got nothing to do with him missing you or wanting to hug you until you stop frowning. That would be crazy." Danny said earning a look from me which made him put his hands up. He knew it was a sensitive subject.

"I can't look at him without feeling pain." I said glancing at him once more and seeing he had given up staring and rested his face on his hand while he picked at his fries.

"The people we love always hurt us 10X more than our enemies. Trust me, I'm like the gay Oracle. I know things." I smiled at Danny and he leaned over to kiss the side of my head.

As much as I would love to seek comfort in Stiles and Scott after what happened with Louis, I was surprised at who was still by my side in all of this. Derek was practically my go-to guy since he miraculously returned. Danny was getting me through and Boyd was distracting me with trying to help me ace my semester finals. Erica had brought over flowers and cookies after hearing about Louis and I sat with her for almost 3 hours talking about her life. Despite her illness, I'd trade my life for hers in a minute. She also revealed her crush she had for Stiles which got me a few good stories about him that I hadn't heard about.

After lunch I skipped Harris's class to go to the library. I figured I would get more studying done if I did the work quietly rather than listen to him verbal accost Stiles the entire class. I heard someone sniffling and glanced around the bookcase to see Allison sitting on the floor staring at her phone. She caught sight of me and I put my hand up.

"Sorry." I apologized quickly but she shook her head.

"It's not your fault. I'm blubbering like an idiot in here." I walked over to her and offered a tissue which she took.

"I wouldn't say blubbering but if your tears are why your hair is wet then I'd say we have a problem." She laughed as I sat down next to her on the floor.

"No no I just got out of the pool. Jackson and I were talking…about Scott." She stopped and bit her lip. I glanced down at her phone and saw a picture of them mocking her on the screen.

"I'm sure staring at pictures of you two together is really helping you through the breakup." I said shutting the phone.

"He sent them to me earlier. I swear I don't know if he's just inconsiderate of my feelings or he just wants to hurt me." Allison wiped her face.

"No I think he's just stupid." I said bluntly.

"Do you think I made the right choice? After that night?" Allison asked me and I stayed silent for a moment.

"I'm sorry that's a stupid question after everything you've been through." She apologized quickly.

"It's okay-" She cut me off.

"It's not okay. I'm so sorry for what Lydia did to you. I'm really going to miss you." Allison admitted and I rolled my eyes.

"Well I'm sorry for what Lydia did to you." I said without thinking.

"What do you mean?" She asked confused.

"She practically jumped Scott in the coach's office last week. I figured you didn't know and seeing you pine after him like this…you're stronger than this Allison. I know you love Scott and he made a few mistakes but no one is perfect. I just thought you should know." I said honestly.

"I should have known. Well that makes me miss him slightly less. He didn't send you did he?" She asked curiously.

"No, we actually aren't on very good terms right now. When I caught him he said some things that kind of hit close to home. I've been trying to forgive him but I keep thinking…" I stopped talking to take a deep breath but Allison finished.

"You think that forgiving him won't matter since you're leaving anyway." She said making me nod my head.

"You know, I really hope you can find it in you to give him another chance one day. He really needs someone like you in his life. He truly is a good guy. He just has a lot of things he needs to deal with. He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and the thought of including you to even carry the littlest bit of that weight terrifies him. He loves you." I admitted seeing her eyes go wide.

"He…he told you that?" She asked.

"No but I know he does. He's my best friend. I know him better than anyone else. Take your time with things though. Life isn't easy but it's better to go into it with an army than alone." I said patting her knee.

"What about you?" Allison said as I started to get up.

"What about me?" I asked.

"I know you are upset with Stiles for the thing with Lydia and now you're upset with Scott for whatever it is he said to you but you don't have very much more time here. Why would you push them away when we both know that they'd do anything for you?" She asked me curiously as I adjusted my bag on my shoulder.

"Because I'm not strong enough to hurt them again. Sometimes we hurt the people we love in order to protect them. I guess Scott and I are similar in that way. Doesn't make it right but at the end of the day we're still just trying to protect the people we love." I explained.

"But you also end up alone." Allison said making me turn around and look at her as she got to her feet.

"Well for Scott's sake, I hope you change your mind." I smiled at her.

"Why don't you come to the game with me tonight? Stiles is starting and I know he'd love for you to be there. I'm sure Scott would too." She stepped closer and I shook my head.

"Before you say no, can you please just think about it? I want to spend some time with you before you go." Allison asked smiling slightly.

"I'll think about it." I said before turning back around and walking out of the library. I knew I wouldn't get any work done thinking about Allison and Scott but as I walked out of the doors I ran into someone dropping my book.

"Sorry, oh it's you." I looked up to see Kate Argent standing there.

"In the flesh." I picked the book up and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I thought they would have kicked you out of school after your family was outted. I guess they have a high tolerance for trouble." She said with an ugly smirk.

"Aren't you a bit old to be creeping a high school?" I said hoping to get her to leave me alone but I knew it wouldn't be that easy.

"Sassy…that's cute. Very cute, sassy the teenage witch but my patience is running thin so why don't you cut the crap and tell me where Derek is hiding out." I was a bit shocked she was stupid enough to ask that.

"Derek, Derek, Derek…sorry you're going to have to be more specific." She gritted her teeth but laughed to cover her impatience.

"You know that mouth of yours could get you into a lot of trouble. You must get it from your mother though. She never knew when to keep her trap shut either. Probably a Steven's family trait." She said making my blood boil.

"You don't know the first thing about my family and as far as Derek's concerned, it's going to take a lot more than your haggard ass threats for me to give him up so why don't you step your game up or get out of my face." I challenged pushing past her.

"Well I guess I'll just have to do that then. I'm sure I'll see you before you see me. Hopefully you'll have changed your tune the next time we…bump into each other. Tell Derek I said hello." She oddly enough backed down and entered the library to probably seek out Allison.

"Sure thing…bitchy the werewolf slayer." She laughed as she walked through the door and I knew she heard me. I had to shake my head though once she was gone and could finally breathe a little easier.

"Derek _would_ date a psycho blonde who watches 90's teen shows." I sighed.

"What about 90's teen shows?" I jumped when someone spoke behind me and I saw that it was Stiles.

"Nothing." I started to walk away and he ran up next to me.

"So are you coming to the game tonight? I'm starting. It's kind of a big deal." He said anxiously.

"I'm still packing." I said simply.

"You've got three weeks though. I can help you if you fall behind." Stiles offered.

"I think you've helped me enough thanks." I said hearing him sigh.

"Maggie, please. I'm…I'm trying to give you space but I don't want to waste the time we have left trying to make you stop hating me." Stiles stopped me by stepping in front of me.

"I don't hate you Stiles. Every time you do something awful to me, you assume I hate you and as much as I wish I could hate you, I can't bring myself to do it. It's actually very annoying. This would be so much easier if I could but I can't." I said running my hand through my hair.

"Maybe that's just fate saying we shouldn't be at odds with each other. Maybe we could try and go back-" I cut him off.

"There's no going back Stiles. We're going forward and forward means in 3 weeks I won't be here. I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm trying to save us both more pain, okay? Do you understand that? Please just…stop trying to make things harder." I said stepping around him. He didn't chase after me this time and I thought maybe he'd finally got it. It was killing me that him and Scott both thought that I hated them but just thinking about leaving them killed me all over again. Every time I looked into Stiles eyes I felt like I was breaking his heart for some reason and that was a horrible feeling.

"JACKSON! This little text…not funny." I was leaning my head on my locker and noticed Jackson and Lydia have a spat.

"I wasn't trying to be funny. I would have put a haha at the end of it and see, there's no haha." Jackson was being extra douchey today.

"Lydia, please give back my house key at your earliest convenience as we are no longer dating." She whispered.

"You didn't lose it, did you?" He asked surprising me. At least Stiles would be happy to know Lydia was back on the market.

"What the hell is this?" Lydia seemed genuinely shocked.

"Oh Lydia, in preparations for some big changes I've decided to drop some of the dead weight in my life and you're just about the deadest." He said harshly.

"Are you breaking up with me?" She sounded desperate.

"Dumping actually." He said smugly.

"Dumped…by the CO-captain of the lacrosse team. I wonder how many minutes it'll take me to get over that…SECONDS ACTUALLY." She yelled after him as he walked away leaving her standing there to feel what had just happened. She caught sight of me and glared.

"What are you looking at freak!?" She yelled.

"Someone who deserves better than what she just got." I closed my locker and she was surprised.

"Oh like you even care. I bet you enjoyed that." She crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"We may not be friends Lydia but I wouldn't wish heartbreak on anyone." I adjusted my bag again and she rolled her eyes.

"You don't know anything about my relationship with Jackson." She flipped her hair.

"I know that you'd have to be in love with him if you could seriously ignore someone who would literally walk on fire for you like Stiles would. I'm sorry." I nodded at her and walked away.

I knew she was just as surprised at my niceness as I was but I didn't want to live the last 3 weeks here with this drama. If Lydia wanted to keep this fight going she would have to fight with herself. I was done with it. I walked out of the school and ran right into Sheriff Stilinski.

"Hey, where are you heading?" He asked with a faint smile.

"I'm a little overwhelmed today so I'm going to head home. You aren't here to bust me are you?" I asked making him shift uncomfortably.

"No of course not but…I wanted to ask you something." He said putting his hands in his pockets.

"Go ahead." I welcomed the question.

"You know that Stiles is starting at the game tonight right?" He asked making me sigh.

"Yes I know and I'm sure he'll do great." I said knowing where this was going.

"I think it would mean a lot to him if you were there. I understand everything is stressful and I hate myself for being so selfish but I hate seeing him like I've been seeing him the last few days. He barely eats, he hardly ever sleeps longer than a few hours at a time and he just looks…" I stopped him.

"Sheriff, I know and I hate that things are the way they are but don't you think it will be harder to see him like this once I'm gone, especially if we make amends before I leave?" I reminded him and he looked down at his shoes.

"Yeah I suppose. I guess I just hate knowing that you two have to lose each other again." He said seeming upset. I hated seeing him so upset and in a way I felt guilty.

"I'll try and make it to the game." I said catching his attention. He gave a small laugh before shaking his head.

"I'll save you a seat." He put his hand on my shoulder before pulling me into his chest unexpectedly.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you." He whispered making me pull away.

"You gave me a home and a family when I needed it most. You've done more for me than anyone. You're the only real father I've ever had. Thank you." I said honestly. It seemed like every relationship I had was strained by what had happened and my inevitably departure. I could only hope that they would be better off once I'd finally gone.

**[Stiles POV]**

I couldn't stand being at school anymore today after talking to Maggie. I don't know if I would prefer her hating me or her actually being more afraid to forgive me because she would be in more pain. Everything was so complicated and painful. I walked into my room and shut the door trying to focus on researching the necklace that Derek told Scott to retrieve but I heard my dad beckon for me.

"Hey Stiles!" He yelled and I spun around in my chair.

"Yo Da-Derek?" Derek was creeping in the corner of my room but after saying his name aloud he gestured to the door where my dad was currently standing. I ran to it and met him there.

"What did you say?" He asked.

"What? I said yo dad." I laughed trying to play it off and it seemed to work.

"Listen, I've got something I need to take care of but I'm going to be there tonight for your first game." Dad looked more excited than I was.

"Yeah my first game…awesome, good." I said nervously.

"I'm very happy for you and I'm really proud." Dad said with a smile.

"Thanks, me too. I'm really happy and proud…of myself." I said realizing how stupid that sounded.

"So you're actually going to get to play right?" He asked.

"Yeah dad, I'm first line." I smiled seeing him practically glowing with pride.

"I'm just very proud." He said again putting his arms out.

"Me too…again. Oh, huggie." He hugged me and I patted his back.

"I'll see you there." Dad looked at me strange before heading back downstairs. I let out a sigh before opening my door and going back in my room only to be thrown into the door by Derek.

"If you say one word-" I cut him off.

"What? Like Dad, Derek Hale's in my room, get your gun?" Derek loosened his grip on shirt.

"That's right if I'm harboring your fugitive ass then it's my house, my rules." I smacked his chest which I didn't quite think through but he seemed to back off. He straightened my jacket out and I did the same to him before he bucked at me scaring the hell out of me.

"OH- my God." I breathed as I sat down in my computer chair.

"Did Scott get the necklace?" Derek asked sounding the calmest I've ever heard him.

"No he's still working on it but there's something else we can try." I said. Derek made a gesture for me to continue.

"The night we were trapped at the school Scott sent a text to Allison telling her to meet him there." I said seeing confusion on Derek's face.

"So?" He asked.

"So it wasn't Scott." I said.

"Can you find out who sent it?" He asked.

"No not me but I think I know someone who can. Since Maggie pretty much can't stand to be around me I changed lab partners. He's on his way over to work on school stuff but I happen to know he's actually a pretty decent computer hack so he can help." I explained.

"Well I guess the least you could do was bow out of being her science partner. She shouldn't have to suffer." Derek's comment made me turn my chair around.

"Suffer? You think her being around me makes her suffer?" I said in disbelief as he glanced around my room.

"I think you'd be pretty stupid to think otherwise at this point." Derek said like it was no big deal.

"Screw you, seriously. You think you know what happened-" He cut me off.

"I _do_ know what happened. She told me while sobbing. I was the one who watched her question herself, question why people she sacrificed her life for could want to hurt her so badly. I watched her cry herself into exhaustion, into panic attacks and painful migraines. I was there. I know everything she's been put through and how she feels. You don't." I listened to Derek recount what Maggie when through and I felt the pit in my stomach grown deeper. Derek pointed at me and I jumped out of my chair unable to listen.

"The hell I don't! She isn't the only one hurting in all of this. Yeah I screwed up and I know that but I lost her in all of this too. She can think I meant to hurt her and she can find comfort in you, which is completely bizarre considering you suddenly, gained a soul but don't talk to me like you know how I feel or what I've been through because you don't! I feel that shame and regret every minute of every day. You've never had to lose her. Now I have to watch her go this time and know it was my fault." I shouted at him as I hit my chest.

"You have no idea how much she cares about your stupid ass and you sold her out for some girl who wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire. It's like you don't even get that you didn't just betray her, you broke her heart by picking Lydia over her, you moron." Derek shouted back.

"I KNOW!" I yelled shaking my head.

"Was it worth it? Was the 5 seconds of Lydia's time worth all of this?" Derek asked as I caught sight of the picture of Maggie and me on my desk.

"No it wasn't. Are you happy now?" I said honestly. I heard someone knocking on the front door and I snapped out of it.

"So let's get one thing straight, I know what happened with Maggie and I'm not going to be answering any questions about her or even talk about her with you at all, got it?" Danny said as he followed me upstairs.

"Yeah of course. I actually needed your help with something else. I need you to trace a number back for me." I said as Danny walked into my room and noticed Derek holding the dictionary.

"You want me to do what?" Danny asked confused.

"Trace a text." I said simply.

"I came here to do lab work. That's what lab partners do." He was fighting me on this.

"And we will once you trace the text." I said running my hand over my face in frustration.

"And what makes you think I know how?" Danny eyed me knowing the answer already.

"I...I looked up your arrest report." I said hoping he wasn't too pissed.

"I was 13 and they dropped the charges." Danny defended himself.

"A'right." I said rolling my eyes.

"No! We're doing lab work. I promised Maggie I wouldn't let you talk me into something stupid or let you fail so that's what I'm doing." Danny grabbed a chair and sat down.

"Maggie told you not to let me fail? Not that my grades are bad or anything." I asked desperately and Derek made a noise of annoyance.

"Who's he again?" Danny leaned over and whispered.

"Uh my cousin...Miguel." I tried to cover but actually felt his eyes glaring at the back of my head.

"Is that blood on his shirt?" Danny asked concerned.

"Oh yeah um well he gets these really bad nose bleeds...hey Miguel, I thought I told you you could borrow one of my shirts." I looked back at Derek and threw my glance to my dresser where my shirts were folded. He aggressively threw the book on my bed before storming over to the dresser to find a shirt.

"We both know you've got the skills to trace that text and I know Maggie would prefer I ask you rather than some sketchy guy who would probably take advantage of me-" I tried to talk Danny into it but Derek interrupted.

"Stiles." Derek said with an irritated chuckle.

"Yes." I turned around giving him the face to shut up already.

"This no fit." He tugged on the shirt and I rolled my eyes.

"Then try something else on." I said before looking at Danny but he was practically boring holes into Derek's chest as he stood shirtless pawing through my clothes.

"Hey! That one looks pretty good huh? What do you think Danny? How does that shirt look?" I hit his arm as he tried not to stare at Derek now wearing my orange and blue striped shirt.

"It's uh...not really his color." He stuttered as Derek tugged the shirt off to continue the search.

"You swing for a different team but you still play ball, dontcha Danny boy?" I teased knowing I'd had him.

"You're a horrible person." Danny said quickly.

"I know it keeps me awake at night. So about that text..." I trailed off before Derek shouted again.

"STILES! None of these fit." I looked back at Danny who finally caved.

"I'll need the ISP, the phone number and the exact time of the text." Danny said leaning over to use my computer. I threw my hands up in victory and got up to grab a shirt for Derek. He followed me out of my room into hallway as I came out of the guest room and pointed at me.

"I'm going to kill you." He threatened.

"Here take this." I threw him the shirt and he looked at it strangely.

"Why does it smell like Maggie?" He asked cocking his eyebrow.

"It's an oversized shirt that my dad bought her when she first started staying with us. She slept in it. It was practically a dress on her." I shoved my hands in my pockets as he pulled the shirt over his head. It fit him comfortably and he nodded at me before leading the way back into my room. We kept the door to the guest room shut most days now. It was so empty without Maggie's things or mom's things in there now so it was too hard to walk by and not feel bad.

"There, the text was sent from a computer. This one right here." He pointed as I sat down next to him and Derek hovered behind us.

"This one right here? Registered under that account name?" Derek said baffled as we stared at the name.

"No that can't be right." I said seeing Melissa McCall's name pop up on the screen.

"The records don't lie. There's the time and the towers it hit off after being sent out." Danny ran his finger across the screen and I glanced back at Derek.

"Well it's been real Danny but Miguel actually has a job interview at that new night club." I patted Danny on the back as I got out of my chair and tried to get rid of him. Danny's eyes went wide.

"The one off of Roamers street?" He whispered as he adjusted his bag on his shoulder.

"Yeah that's the one." I agreed shoving him towards the door.

"That's a gay club." Danny said making me stop in my tracks and glance back at Derek.

"Perhaps he'll see you there then. Thanks for everything man." I pushed Danny out of the door and shut it hoping he would find his way out of my house.

"We've got to get to the hospital and check Ms. McCall's computer." I said with a sigh. The more I looked at it and my watch and knew I was probably going to miss my 1st game.

**[Scott's POV]**

I climbed through Allison's window and didn't hear any heartbeats in the house or cars in the drive way so I knew the coast would be clear. The necklace wasn't in her bag at school so it had to be in here somewhere. I looked around the room and realized she had pretty much unpacked everything by now which was going to be more difficult to find now. I looked on her night stand and peaked in the closet before looking on the book shelf and not being able to find it.

I noticed the open book on the computer stand with a receipt on top of it. I picked it up and realized it was from our first date. I smiled when I flipped it over and saw she had written _First Date with Scott!_ on the back.

How could she think sending her pictures was meant to hurt her when she kept things like this just laying around to look at and think about? I bumped the mouse by accident and the screen lit up to reveal an online journal. It was time stamped for about an hour ago. I knew it was an invasion of privacy but I was too curious.

_Scott sent me pictures of us today. I completely lost it. I tried to take my mind off of him by talking to Jackson but he actually seemed to be on Scott's side. Not that there are sides in all of this. UGH! I just wish he would have been honest with me. I called Kate to pick me up and decided I would wait in the library but only ended up sobbing like a weak lovesick girl on the floor. Maggie came in and I could tell she was hesitant to talk to me. I thought it was because of the Lydia thing but apparently she also had a spat with Scott. She wouldn't go into much detail but I could see the pain in her eyes when she talked. Despite the falling out she tried to reassure me that my feelings for Scott would overcome the struggles we face right now. She seemed pretty convinced that what he did was to protect me and even went as far as to say he loved me too much to put the weight of his "world" on my shoulders. If that's really true then I wish Scott would have just told me he's got thing's he's dealing with. It's really a shame that she's got to leave. I really feel like we were getting closer. She is the most honest, caring person I've met while I've been here. She protects the people she loves so fiercely and I admire that but she seems so lonely right now. I wish I could help. I wish things with Scott were easier but then again maybe Maggie was right. Maybe it's difficult because love is involved._

I felt my cheeks heat up reading the last line. Did Allison really love me? Is Maggie really rooting for us to get back together? I ran my hand through my hair trying to wrap my head around what I had just read and noticed the necklace sticking out of the book. I opened it and picked it up.

"Jackpot!" I said putting the necklace into my pocket. I glanced down at the text in the book and realized it was old like one of Maggie's magic books. I looked down at the text on the page and saw she had words circled.

"Loup garou?" I said aloud to myself as I pulled my phone out and entered the word into the translator. It was the French word for werewolf. I shook my head and heard a creak downstairs. I quickly closed the book and headed for the window. I jumped down and picked up my bike only to jump about 20 feet.

"Scott…what are you doing here?" It was Mr. Argent.

"I-uh…I was just-" He smiled at me.

"Come on inside." He put a firm hand on my shoulder and I dropped my bike.

"It can wait. It's no big deal." I said as he pulled me towards the front doors.

"Nonsense she should be home in a few minutes. She had a rough day today and went for a run to clear her head." He explained as he took his jacket off and led me to the kitchen.

"Actually I have a game I need to get to." I pointed out.

"Want something to drink? I'm gonna have a beer." He pulled two out and took the caps off.

"You don't have to test me anymore. Your daughter already dumped me." I said sadly.

"No test, I'm sorry. High school romances burn bright, fade fast. Go ahead." He gestured to the drink and I picked it up.

"Thanks." I said taking a sip.

"So I wanted to ask you about something, Scott." He smiled at me sitting his drink down. I looked him in the face relaxed.

"How do you know Derek Hale?" His demeanor changed immediately.

"Who?" I knew it was a stupid answer considering I gave the cops his name but I panicked.

"Allison said she's seen you talking to him. Don't you think that seems a bit disconcerting, Scott? You talking to an alleged murderer." He had sat me down on the couch in the living room to interrogate me.

"It's not like I'm the only one who knows him." I pointed out.

"But you're the only one talking to him, except your friend Maggie Carter or since that cat's out of the bag, Maggie Stevens. I've seen him coming and going from her house since he's been on the run. Don't you find that odd? She's only 15 after all isn't she?" He was trying to trap me or Maggie and I wasn't going to let him.

"Why are you talking to me like I've done something wrong?" I asked defensively.

"Have you?" He questioned only earning a look from me that pretty much told him I was done with this crap but he sat down next to me instead.

"You don't have to be afraid of me. I'm just thinking of my daughter's safety." He said simply.

"Would you believe me if I said I think about it too? That it's all that I think about. When we were in the school, my best friend could barely walk she was so terrified but all I kept thinking about was getting Allison out alive. Every single thing I did was to make sure she was safe." I stood up from the couch and raised my voice. He sat his drink down and got up to face me.

"I think you better go. Wouldn't want to be late for your game." He gave me a fake smile blowing me off completely but I didn't care. It was an exit so I took it. I walked out of the door and got on my bike to head back to the school.

I passed by Maggie's house and she was carrying boxes out to the moving truck. I saw her struggling with what she had in her arms so I jumped off my bike quickly and helped her.

"Thanks." She said before turning back to the house.

"Please talk to me. I know I don't deserve it but I really need to talk to you." I pleaded making her stop on the steps.

"You did a real number on Allison today. She needs time to put her feelings for you aside before she can be friends with you. Once you can be friends you can work your stupid charm and be all lovey dovey." Maggie said crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know you talked her through it though. You're a good friend like that. An amazing friend actually. I'm lost without you." I put my hands in my pockets as I walked towards her.

"Please don't do this right now Scott." She ran her hand through her hair and I stopped.

"Then come to the game tonight. It would mean a lot to me and Stiles and I know we don't deserve it but he's starting and maybe after the three of us can talk everything over." I said seeing her shake her head before I even finished.

"Now's not a good time." She said biting her lip. I reached into my wallet and pulled out the crumpled up piece of paper from when we were kids and held it up.

"Then I'm cashing this in now." She took it from me and looked at it.

"You've kept this for 10 years?" She asked cocking her eyebrow.

"I figured I might need it someday. It's got no expiration date." I pointed out.

"It's a free favor coupon I made when I was 7." She said stunned I still had it.

"So are you telling me that your word means nothing?" I challenged and she let out a sigh.

"Let me get my jacket." She walked into her house and I silently celebrated the little victory. She came out with a hat on and threw the keys at me.

"My license is being re-done. Apparently since I didn't legally change my name it's invalid. You'll have to drive." She said as she got into the Louis's car that became hers after his death. I left my bike in the yard and figured I would just get it later before getting into the driver seat and starting it up.

I had sent the picture to Stiles and Derek but still hadn't heard anything back from them yet as I drove towards the school in complete silence. She kept her eyes on the window and her hands in her lap as I drove and it was quickly driving me crazy.

"Look could you just yell at me or tell me how shitty of a person I am, please. I know you hate me and all but I can't take this silent treatment." I said breaking the silence.

"I don't hate you Scott." She sighed.

"You should. I said terrible things to you and if I had one wish, only one, I'd use it to take back all those horrible things I said. I wouldn't even use it on fixing things with Allison because you're my family Maggie and I love you." I said honestly. If things worked out with Allison I would be thrilled but losing Maggie forever would kill me.

"I know you're sorry and I forgive you but nothing's going to change. I'm going to disappear for good this time and going back to the way things were will only make it harder for you to let go this time." She explained and I glanced over at her.

"What are you talking about? Once they get your dad things will be fine again. It's not like you're dying Mags." I said but silence fell between us again making me worry.

"I latched with Stiles a few days ago and I saw my fate." She said making me look at her.

"What? What do you mean? What did you see?" I was confused.

"I'm going to die. It won't be quick and it won't be painless and I'm not even sure if you'll be there but it has to happen." I stopped the car and felt my heart dropping slowly but pound harder. She was serious.

"This is how it ends. This is how I protect my family, Scott. This is how I protect all of you." She was accepting this fate and I knew I wouldn't be able to.

"Why wouldn't you tell me this? Have you told anyone?" I asked as I pulled into the parking lot of the school.

"I told Derek. He thinks that we'll somehow figure it out but nothing is guaranteed. If this is what needs to happen to keep all of you safe then you have to let me go." She explained turning in her seat. I felt myself getting upset and she reached out putting her hand on my arm as I covered my face. I tried to keep myself from breaking down but Maggie was basically asking me to let her die. How was I supposed to not get upset about that?

"How do you expect me to do just agree to that? How do I just let you die Maggie? Would you just let me die?" I asked her trying to control my emotions.

"No I wouldn't let you die but would you want me to sacrifice myself for you? I can't ask you-" I cut her off.

"You aren't asking! You are my sister Maggie, my family. I would die if something happened to you." I let her see a tear roll down my face and she frowned wiping it away.

"You know when you freaked out on me last week I thought that it would make things so much easier if I just went away. I thought you'd get tired of trying to apologize and just get annoyed with me but I forgot who you were." She rested her hand on top of mine and I sniffled pulling myself together.

"I'm a persistent pain that you'll be stuck with until the very end. I'm not going to lose you again Maggie. I'm not." I said firmly. I wanted to hug her so bad but I thought she would be upset if I did. Luckily she made the first move and hugged me.

"You need to get changed. I'll go find your mom and the Sheriff. Good luck." She said letting me go and wiping my face one last time before getting out of the car. I sat in the car for few extra minutes trying to take in what she had just told me. Here I thought it was the end of the world with her moving again and now she's telling me she's going to die. How was I supposed to play in this game now thinking about that? How was I supposed to accept that someone I care about could die any minute? I wasn't ready for this.

**[Stiles's POV]**

Derek and I finally decided that we were going to head to the hospital to check on our new findings when Scott called.

"Hey, did you get the picture I sent?" Scott asked.

"You I did and it looks just like the drawing." I said before Derek gripped my wrist and pulled my phone towards him.

"Hey is there something on the back of it? There's gotta be something, an inscription, an opening, something." Derek had a lethal grip and I winced at the pain surging in my arm.

"No no the thing's flat and no it doesn't open, nothing in it, on it or around it. We didn't you tell me about what Maggie saw? You didn't think I should know something that important?" Scott's words confused me and I looked at Derek suspiciously.

"What's wrong with Maggie?" I asked earning silence as usual.

"Now's not the time." He let go of my wrist.

"Where the hell are you, Stiles? You're supposed to be here. You're first line." Scott asked and I heard coach scolding him in the background.

"You're not going to play if you're not here to start and I talked Maggie into coming." I sat up straight in my seat.

"M-Maggie's there? She's there to see me play?" I asked surprised.

"Yeah but you need to get here to play." Scott explained.

"I know! Look if she's with my dad just tell them…tell them I'll be there just a little late, okay? Thanks." I hung up the phone and hit it on the steering wheel frustrated.

"You aren't going to make it." Derek said obviously.

"I know." I rolled my eyes throwing my phone in the center console.

"You didn't tell him about his mom either." Derek added.

"Not until we find out the truth. Despite what you believe I don't like to ruin people's lives for fun." I didn't bother looking at him as I continued to drive.

"You know you're an idiot for what you did to her." He said in his nonchalant know-it-all tone.

"You know what? How about you shut the hell up? I don't care that you could probably break me in half because I am so tired of listening to you go on and on about how I'm such a screw up when it comes to her. I got it Derek. I don't need you reminding me." I said pulling up to the hospital.

"What I don't understand is how you can follow Lydia around like a lost puppy when Maggie is so clearly in love with you." Derek's words made me look over at him.

"What? How do you know that?" I asked quickly earning a heavy sigh and an eye roll.

"Helen Keller would know that. Something tells me you aren't that stupid though. You know how she feels about you yet you torture yourself by pursuing someone who doesn't even know you exist." Derek said making me bite my lip.

"You don't know what you're talking about." I took the keys out of the ignition and he laughed.

"You're hopeless." The comment made me look at him.

"Coming from the guy who lives alone in a burnt down palace? Have you ever been in love or even had a best friend? Maybe if I'm afraid if I acknowledge her feelings for me it might ruin our friendship or maybe I'd ruin it since I'm already so good at that." I defended.

"Straight up question then: do you or do you not love Maggie?" Derek asked with a straight face.

"Of course I do, she's my best friend." I said incredulously.

"Okay bad phrasing. Are you in love with her?" He asked and I felt my heart speed up knowing I was giving myself away.

"Can we just get this over with?" I practically begged before going to pull my door handle.

"Stiles, one more thing?" He asked making me look over at him.

"Yeah?" I asked but he didn't have a question. He took the back of my head and pushed it hard making me slam my forehead into the steering wheel harshly.

"OH! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" I asked in pain gripping my face.

"YOU know what that was for. Now go." He commanded as I tried to look at him but the pain surging in my head was intense.

"GO!" He yelled this time as I swiveled out of my seat and stumbled towards the hospital. I walked in and it looked like the hospital was completely abandoned. No one was at the nurses station and there were no doctors roaming around. I didn't even find any patients. I called Derek's phone as I continued to look around for his uncle's nurse.

"I can't find her or anyone for that matter to even ask. This place is dead." I explained making my way towards his room.

"Just find someone and ask for Tracy. Someone has to be there. She wouldn't leave my uncle." Derek said as I walked into his room. The bed was made and no one was in it.

"Yeah well he's not here either." I said with a sigh.

"What?" Derek said in disbelief.

"He's not here, he's gone Derek." I said firmly. Derek was quiet for a minute before I heard him get panicky.

"Stiles, get out of there right now! It's him! He's the alpha! GET OUT!" Derek shouted as I slowly backed out of the room only to see a guy with burns on his face standing literally 3 feet away.

"Hello Stiles, it's been far too long." He said as my breath got caught in my chest. I tried to back out and run but I turned around into a nurse.

"What are you doing here? Visiting hours are over." She gritted out.

"Nonsense Tracy, this is the boy I was telling you about. He's one of my daughter's best friends." I turned around looking at him completely confused.

"Um I think you've got the wrong guy." I muttered looking between the two of them as they closed in on me. I looked at Tracy and pieced together how Ms. McCall's name came up on that hack.

"You…and…him…you're the one that…and he's the…oh my God I'm gonna die." I said running my hand over my head. Derek jumped out and elbowed Tracy in her face knocking her completely out as he glared at his uncle.

"That's not nice, she's my nurse." Peter said lightly.

"She's a psychotic bitch helping you kill people. Get out of the way." He didn't take his eyes off of Peter Hale but I knew he was talking to me. I was kind of sandwiched between them so all I could do was slide to the floor as Derek bum rushed Peter and tried to take him down.

"You think I killed Laura on purpose? You think I'd hurt my own family?" Peter walked closer looking angry. He tossed Derek into the wall and I squirmed out of the way as quickly as I could. I almost crawled right on top of the bloody nurse but I managed to roll around the corner and hide in the nurse's station. I could hear Derek struggling to breathe as Peter grabbed ahold of him and started to drag him.

"My mind and my personality were literally burned out of me. I'm driven by pure instinct." He said as I heard Derek hit the floor where he dropped him. Not being able to see was driving me crazy but I knew if I wanted to live I needed to hide.

"You want forgiveness?" Derek must have gotten up because I heard more skin on skin contact from hard fists hitting bones and muscle.

"I want understanding." Peter said before throwing Derek backward so hard he flipped onto his stomach. I could see him from where I hid as he spit blood onto the floor and tried to get up.

"Do you have any idea what it was like during those years? Slowly healing cell by cell, even more slowly coming back to consciousness. Then finding out that the people who did this to our family was now going after my only living child? Becoming the alpha was necessary. Taking it from Laura just pushed me over the edge and over the plateau of the healing process. I can't help that." Peter explained and Derek jumped to his feet trying to take more swings at him as I scrambled to move further away. I heard bones crunching and got the chills.

"I tried to tell you what was happening. I tried to warn you." Suddenly Derek was being thrown through the glass window practically in my lap. He looked over at me bloodied and definitely hurt.

"Go…get Maggie and tell her to use the protection spell. Hurry." He said as he started to crawl through the broken glass to get away from me. I wasted no time rolling my way down the hall until I could get to my feet and bolt out of there. I got in the jeep and halled ass towards the school. Peter Hale was the alpha and I was apparently friends with his daughter. Who even knew he had a daughter?

**[Derek's POV]**

I felt like I was run over by a semi-truck as I tried to crawl away from Peter. He was not only the one who killed Laura but my worst fear was confirmed. Maggie was his daughter. She is my family. I had finally gotten into a room and realized it was the morgue when I looked up to see Peter pretty much followed me in like it was no big deal.

"I was going to wait for dramatic flair but…" He flipped the mirror that sat on the table and the remaining burns on his face disappeared.

"When you look this good, why wait?" He faltered. I stared at him from the ground piecing together everything I've felt or talked about with Maggie since the moment we met and things started to make sense.

"Derek you have to let me explain. After all, we're family." He said like that meant anything to him.

"Why don't you start with Maggie? Since when did you have a daughter? How is that even possible?" I asked shaking my head.

"Well Derek when two people love each other-" I cut him off.

"Cut the shit!" I shouted feeling a stabbing pain in my ribs.

"Before your mother and father decided to move into the house, I had been seeing someone for quite some time. I kept her away from the family because she was a witch and I was a werewolf and the last thing I really wanted to hear was the family going on and on about how dangerous that was. When I had found out Anna was pregnant, I was actually pretty excited. We had planned to run away together but after the baby was born the Argent's had shown back up and I had to split. She was just a baby then. I think I had only actually been able to hold her twice before I left." Peter explained.

"Why did you have to kill Laura? You could have just asked one of the Stevens women to heal you." I asked confused.

"I went to many healers and witches but I could never present myself to them. In their eyes, I had abandoned Anna and our child because I couldn't handle our baby being more of a Stevens than a Hale. It was very dramatic, glasses were thrown, painful hexs placed." He waved his hand around.

"Why is she more Stevens than Hale?" I asked.

"She isn't. They assumed that's what I thought because she was a girl and already exhibited magical tendencies but that connection you feel when you are with her, that's a powerful thing and it's because you both have the same blood running through your veins." He pointed out.

"She's not a wolf. She isn't affect but mountain ash or Wolfsbane like we are." I said as he sat down in front of me.

"Because my dear nephew, she is what the mythical world writes stories about and our enemies fear the most. She has strength of our capacity and she doesn't even know it and without any of our weaknesses. She is a hybrid but it hasn't be triggered quite yet. Her human side needs to die first. She is why the Argent's should be shaking in their boots." Peter gritted his teeth as I sat up feeling my bones healing.

"Why did you go through the trouble of killing Laura? Getting your strength back and building your own pack for what? Maggie will never accept you for turning Scott." I explained.

"You just don't get it. I don't need to exact revenge. That's what Maggie is for. Her entire family is dead, killed at the hands of monsters. You know that rage. I'm just here to show her the Hale rage inside of her." Peter smiled.

"How exactly do you plan to do that?" I asked almost afraid of the answer.

"I'm going to let the pieces fall around her, show her who her true enemies are. That's where you come in." He pointed at me.

"And what do you plan to do with her after that?" I prodded.

"I'm going to kill her." Peter's words came out as simple as if he were saying he was going to take a walk and I think that's what terrified me more than anything.

"What?" I asked confused.

"I'm touched that you've formed a bond with my daughter, Derek but if you refuse to help me in making my plan work, I'll make her watch as I cut every single person she loves into pieces and tell her you could have prevented it. You think about that." Peter leaned down and patted my face.

"Killing her will only make her stronger in the end. She must die to be reborn." Peter explained.

I was torn. Maggie was my cousin. My only living relative besides Peter and that was quickly something I regretted. The mistake I made was getting to know her over these past few months. I had to figure out a way to get her out of this. A way to save her like I couldn't with the others, like I couldn't with Laura. The only way I could do that was to get in with the devil.


	16. Change Of Heart

**[Scott's POV]**

After coach pretty much decided Stiles was going to be doing suicide drills every day for missing the game we managed to pick up the slack on our own and take home the win which put us in line for State. Maggie actually seemed happy to be there but both her and the Sheriff kept looking around and checking their phones for any sign of Stiles. I too was starting to worry.

"STILES! STILES! Has anyone seen Stiles?" I tried to be heard over everyone chanting STATE but it was hopeless. Someone bumped into me and I picked up the scent immediately. Allison stared at me as Jimmy walked through the both of us chanting STATE. She finally let herself smile and I felt my stomach unclench.

"You were pretty awesome out there." She said genuinely.

"Thanks, you too." I said without thinking earning a confused look.

"I mean…that's not what I meant." I felt like an idiot.

"No I did some pretty awesome cheering so you can thank me." She always had a way of making me feel less stupid.

"You did?" I asked.

"Totally. I went from Go Team Go to Defense, Defense without a breath. I brought my A game." She laughed and it felt good that she was able to talk to me. I needed to hug Maggie for whatever she said to her.

"STATE STATE STATE!" Jimmy stepped between us and started chanting again. She walked out with her dad and I glared at him making him stop his ridiculous cheering which had ruined the nice moment we were having.

"Aw that's just pathetic. I bet it causes a lot of sleepless nights." Jackson walked up to me and I was in no mood.

"You know, I actually sympathize with you McCall which is why I'm going to make this mutually beneficial. You get me what I want and I'll help you get her back." He offered.

"What?" I asked confused as to why he would even make me a deal.

"Well it's just in time for the winter formal so think about you taking her instead of me. Also think about all the things you would do to get her out of some tight little dress by the end of the night. See how this could work out for everyone involved?" He hit my chest as I continued to glare at him. I tried Stiles phone again but still got no answer. I went ahead and got my shower. As I walked to my locker Danny caught my attention.

"Apology accepted, McCall." I turned around.

"I didn't apologize." I said confused.

"After you rocked me on the field I figured it was something personal but Maggie told me you were going through a rough time and would make it up to me. Every time you got the ball tonight, you passed it to me." He said with a smile.

"Every time I passed it to you, you scored." I said.

"Like I said, apology accepted." He walked out of the locker room and I had to laugh to myself. Maggie had single-handedly fixed all the relationships in my life after I completely shit on our friendship. I was glad she let me in today but it just showed me that even when I think she'll hate me forever she's still doing whatever she can to make sure my life is happy. The lights suddenly went off in the locker room pulling me from my thoughts.

"Danny?" I said thinking he might have shut them off but when I got no answer I walked over to the light switch to try it. It didn't work. I noticed a lacrosse ball roll across the floor from the showers and started to walk slowly towards it. I picked it up and looked up to see Derek standing there.

"Thank God! Where the hell have you been? I've tried both you and Stiles and couldn't get a hold of you. Do you have any idea what's been going on?" I asked feeling my adrenaline kick in. Derek said nothing, merely looked over my shoulder.

"I really don't get lacrosse. When I was in high school we played basketball. There's a real sport." Peter Hale was not only walking and talking now but he was completely burn free. I looked at Derek and realized that Peter was the Alpha which meant he was also Maggie's father.

"I read somewhere the lacrosse is a Native American sport and they played it to resolve conflict. I have a little conflict of my own and I'm going to need your help." He smiled at me.

"I'm not helping you kill people." I said firmly.

"Well I don't want to kill all of them, just the responsible ones." He said making me shake my head.

"Oh and Maggie." He added. My eyes went wide and I looked at Derek.

"What?! I'm not going to let you kill Maggie! She's your daughter and my best friend. How could you-" He cut me off.

"Would you rather it be…" He looked at Derek.

"Allison." Derek finally spoke with zero emotion. I looked at him completely lost.

"You're on his side?" He didn't answer me, just looked at Peter and then back at me confirming it.

"Are you forgetting the part where he killed your sister?!" I reminded him.

"That was a misunderstanding." He said with equal emotion.

"Okay how about Maggie? You've been getting closer with her and now it's confirmed she like one of your only living family members and you just want to kill her?!" My voice cracked at how shocked I was but he didn't move.

"I think you're getting the wrong impression. We really just want to help you reach your own potential." Peter explained.

"By killing my friends." I said feeling my stomach clench again.

"Sometimes the people closest to us are the ones holding us back the most." Peter said making me glare.

"If they're holding me back from being a psychotic nut job like you then I'm okay with that." I said honestly.

"Maybe you could try to see things from my perspective." Peter approached me and I looked at Derek for some kind of sign but I received none. Just sharp nails to the back of my neck that was way worse than anything Derek has ever done to me. I fell to my knees as my whole body went into a lock movement surging pain through my veins.

"You'll help me or they'll both die." Peter said before walking out of the locker room. Derek followed shortly after and left me on the floor in pain. I started to see flashes of Maggie as a baby with Peter and her mom then him leaving and Maggie's mom making a pact with her sisters to keep him away from Maggie. I saw Peter watching Maggie from a far and then raging alone before seeing the Hale house up in flames. I felt his pain as he sat under a shower head with his burned flesh and let his screams out with the added pain. I saw what he did to the guys who set the house on fire and felt the heat from the flames in the basement as he watched his remaining family burn alive. I could smell the burning flesh and hear the screams. I watched him kill Laura and it flashed to Maggie once more. All the times he's watched her with us. Her smiling and her laughing at something Stiles said or jumping on my back as I carried her around one day. He would be sitting on the roof of the neighbor's house to watch her study through her window and fall asleep clutching a text book. The flashes finally stopped but my body was still paralyzed on the cold tiles of the showers.

I breathed through the pain and eventually made it to my hands and knees to crawl towards the bench. I kept thinking about what I saw and felt. How could Derek get behind Peter with killing Maggie? I just didn't understand it. I head Stiles barreling down the hallway and knew he was coming to tell me what I already knew.

"Dude! We have a serious problem." He said breathlessly as he came to a halt behind me.

"Trust me…I know. Peter and Derek were just here." I said looking back at him.

"Peter…and Derek? Did they like move their fight here or something because when I bailed, Peter was kicking Derek's ass." Stiles walked around and stood in front of me.

"Apparently they made up because they've decided to work together in destroying everyone. They came here to try and get me to help." I explained.

"Wow, that's…awkwardly insane. Why would they want you to start killing people?" Stiles asked shaking his head.

"Not just people…they want me to help them kill Maggie." I could hear Stiles heartbeat rise.

"What?! What are you talking about?! Why would they want to kill Maggie?" Stiles started to pace with panic.

"I have no idea. Derek's gotten close with her and now that he knows she's family, it just makes no sense." I ran my hand through my hair and Stiles froze.

"Wait…I'm lost. Maggie and Derek are related?" Stiles asked making me look up at him frustrated.

"Yes! Peter is Maggie's father. Derek and I suspected that the Alpha was Maggie's father but we had no idea it would be Peter." I explained and Stiles sat down on the bench putting his face in his hands.

"That's what he meant." Stiles eyes were wide.

"What?" I asked.

"He said I was best friends with his daughter and I didn't make that connection. How could I not make that connection?" Stiles asked himself.

"All I know is that he's gotten Derek to help him which means we've got to do everything in our power to protect Allison and Maggie." I explained as I got up and started to get dressed.

"How exactly are we supposed to do that? I mean I'm not a werewolf, Scott. Maybe we should let Allison's family protect her and we focus on Maggie." Stiles was anxious.

"You don't need to be a werewolf to protect her, Stiles. She's got her magic and as long as you're with her-" Stiles got up cutting me off.

"I connected with her, Scott. Something happened the other day and we somehow connected or whatever and I saw her dying in my arms. I can't let that happen, man. I just…" Stiles trailed off and I put my hand on his shoulder.

"We won't let that happen alright. We are going to kill Peter and she'll be able to stay here. We aren't going to lose her again man." I said firmly. He shook his head as I pulled my shirt over my head.

"I heard we won." Stiles said without much enthusiasm.

"Yeah, looks like we're going to state. I told your dad your nerves must have gotten to you and he seemed to buy it. I don't know where Maggie went after the game though which is a problem now that we know Peter and Derek will be looking for her." I said and Stiles seemed to pull himself together.

"Well I can go to her house and keep an eye on her. I mean I can at least thank her for coming to the game." Stiles said standing back up as I shut my locker.

"I'll be at Allison's keeping watch. If anything goes wrong, call my cell." Stiles nodded at me and I gripped his shoulder.

"It's going to be okay. I promise." I said trying to reassure him.

"I hope you're right." Stiles said. He gave me a ride over to Allison's and I planted myself on the roof adjacent to her window. I must have spent 3 hours up there before I actually started to get tired. Watching someone sleep and listening to their resting heartbeat was tiresome. I just had to keep reminding myself what was at stake here.

**[Maggie's POV]**

I didn't stick around after the game. I knew it was a bogus story when Scott said Stiles nerves got to him because he would have been ecstatic to play first line. I ended up at the cemetery visiting my family plots before stumbling over to Claudia Stilinski's grave. I sat down in front of it and used the fallen petals from the fresh flowers to make a wreath.

"Stiles was supposed to play his first game tonight but he had to miss it. I'm not sure what for but I'm sure he was helping my friend out. The funny thing is I honestly think you would be able to handle this whole werewolf business. You were always so trusting and open with us. You would have helped us out and told us everything would be okay and we'd believe you. That's what I miss most about you. I miss the way you would just smile and put us at ease. I miss coming to you and figuring out what I should do in tough situations. Like this one with Stiles and Scott. I mean I know what's coming and I told Scott because I know that he already carries the weight of the world on himself and I didn't want him to think it was his fault but Stiles…I just don't know. If I let him back in and something happens to me…" I shook my head to keep from getting upset.

"You know its trespassing being here after dark, right?" I jumped and turned towards the voice. It was Isaac.

"You know sneaking up on people could get you punched right?" I laughed getting to my feet to see he had a bruise on his cheek.

"Looks like you've already made this mistake. What happened?" I asked.

"Eh lacrosse. It's not that bad." He said as I brushed my fingers over it.

"I was at the game Isaac. You didn't play." I pointed out making him blush.

"I'm fine." He looked at his feet and I dropped my hand from his face. There was a moment of awkward silence before he cleared his throat.

"So I heard you were leaving at the end of the semester. Is that true?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, my aunt Karen and I are going to get out of here. It's just too hard for her to be here after my uncle…" I trailed off and he looked saddened.

"That sucks…that you're leaving not about your uncle…or no, yes about your uncle too." Isaac stuttered and I smiled.

"You know I'm going to miss your cute stutter the most." I pushed his chest and he laughed.

"Well I can't help it. You make me nervous." He said shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Why's that?" I asked with a smile.

"You're cute, smart and funny. You're also really sure about yourself and I've never really met a girl like that before." Isaac explained making me laugh.

"Honestly, I'm just winging it but I'm glad it appears that I have my shit together." I said.

"I don't think you give yourself enough credit. You're strong Maggie. Be proud of that." Isaac's words made me smile before I leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"I'm going to miss you most. It's too bad though. I probably would have asked you out in another week or so." I said biting my lip and watching his eyes go wide.

"I better get home. I'll see you at school." I put a hand on his arm before walking past him. I heard him try to faintly tell me goodbye but I knew I had surprised him with my last comment. It was the truth too. I totally would have gone on a date with Isaac if I was going to stick around. He was always so sweet to me and I liked how he made me feel. He was really the only other boy I'd taken interest in besides Stiles. I walked the whole way home thinking about Isaac and what he would do when he found out I was killed. I hoped he wouldn't be too upset. I jumped when I heard rustling in the tree next to my window. I approached it carefully and realized it was Stiles attempting to climb up it.

"STILES!" I yelled startling him so bad he lost his footing and tumbled out of the tree, hitting the ground with a thud.

"AH!" I covered my mouth as he groaned in the grass.

"What are you doing?" I asked kneeling down next to him as he gripped his back.

"At the moment? I'm thinking that I should have just knocked and that I may be broken. How about you? What are you up to?" He played it off as he winced. I helped him to his feet and he tried to straighten his back.

"What are you doing here?" I asked curiously.

"You came to my game and I wanted to thank you. I'm sorry I couldn't make it but I'm glad you went." Stiles said looking at me with a sad smile.

"I'm sure whatever it was that you were doing was important." I said and his look became serious.

"Do you think maybe-" I cut him off.

"I really should get inside." I walked past him but he grabbed my wrist.

"Please...can you just wait a second?" He pleaded.

"If you're going to apologize again-" He cut me off this time.

"I've already apologized for what I did and I know you'll forgive me when and if you're ready but after seeing what I saw the other day-" He started to go into the flash but I didn't want him to worry about that.

"I told you that meant nothing, Stiles. You don't have to-" He stopped me again moving his grip from my wrist to my hand.

"I know what you told me but I saw what I saw and it's got me thinking about things. I know there's nothing I can do to stop you guys from moving and that's my fault but I need you to not give up on me." Stiles looked at me and all I could see was pain. I felt his hurt through his touch and it went straight to my chest like an electric shock.

"Stiles-" He shook his head.

"I-I've been thinking everything over for days and I know I don't deserve anything from you. I know I'm the worst friend in the history of friends but I just can't let this be it. I can't let you go." Stiles started to get upset and I realized I hadn't seen Stiles cry in a long time.

"Stiles, what happened to Louis wasn't your fault and I'm sorry I put that on you. My dad has been chasing me for a long time and the people I love always end up paying for protecting me." I explained but he squeezed his eyes closed tightly.

"But I ran my mouth and brought him here. I'm the reason you've got to leave. I'm the reason you won't be able to settle down and live normally. I'm the reason-" I put my hands up.

"Stiles stop!" His chest was heaving and I knew he was getting upset. He turned away from me and put his hand on the tree he had fallen from trying to catch his breath. He was taking deep breaths trying to fight his panic attack but it had already set in once he started to wheeze. I made the decision in that moment to forgive Stiles before he tore himself apart any further. I pulled him away from the tree and turned him to face me with panic etched on his face.

"Calm mind, easy breaths. Calm mind, easy breaths." I chanted putting my hand over his sternum. He kept breathing roughly but I put his hand over my heart.

"Just like this Stiles. Calm down." I breathed in through my nose and out of my mouth and he started to calm down. Once he finally calmed down from his panic attack he leaned against the tree sliding down it, propping his knees up to rest his elbows on.

"I wrote a speech." He said taking a deep breath.

"You what?" I asked confused as he dug into his jacket.

"I wrote a speech that I was going to say trying to get you to forgive me and show you that I'm really not that insensitive, ruthless asshole you think I am for telling Lydia about you and ruining your life. I guess my anxiety has been getting worse." He ran his hand down his face and I looked at the crumpled piece of paper.

"Stiles, why are you doing this when you know I'll still be leaving? Don't you think it's easier this way?" I asked him honestly and he looked at me confused.

"The night of the full moon when Scott freaked out he told me that when you left us 6 years ago that you left him a note and not me. At first I was mad because I thought you cared about Scott more than me and felt he deserved one more but then I really took a second to really think. If you had written me a letter I wouldn't have accepted that you were gone. It would be too hard to say goodbye. It still is." He explained letting a tear fall down his cheek.

"I don't know what to do, Stiles. I feel like either way I'm going to hurt you and I don't want you to think that this is some kind of punishment for what happened. I forgive you, I really do but us trying to pick up and be close again...I don't think my heart will be able to take leaving you both again." I said feeling Stiles shift next to me, moving my hair out of my face.

"Then let's make sure it's not like last time." He said simply.

"How exactly do we do that?" I asked rolling my eyes.

"We'll get you a burner phone. Criminals use them all the time because they can't be traced. You promise to call us every few days. When they finally catch your dad everything will be okay and you can come home for good." Stiles said making me smile sadly at him.

"You've really thought this through haven't you?" I asked already knowing the answer.

"Maggie, the moment I realized I ruined everything between us I've been thinking of ways to keep you here even if you hated me." Stiles kept his eyes on me and I sighed.

"Do you ever wonder why things in our lives have never really been simple? I mean even when we were kids, I was without a father and Scott's dad bailed. Then I had to bail and your mom got sick. It's like we're cursed or something." I said out loud for no apparent reason.

"Without struggles, we would take everything we loved for granted, everyone we loved." Stiles kept his eyes on me and I finally met his gaze.

"I want you to try that latching thing on me again. There's something I want you to see. I'm not sure how it works but I think if I can concentrate hard enough on it then maybe you'll pick it up too." Stiles said turning his body fully towards me.

"I don't know if that's a good idea." I said running my hand through my hair.

"Please? I think it will show you just how important you are and will always be to me." Stiles extended his hands and I looked at them. I didn't know if it would work but magic works in mysterious ways. I took a deep breath and hovered my hands over his own. I gave him one last look before I gripped his hands and was pulled into childhood moments with Stiles. All of the fun times we had together. All the little moments that we were carefree. Then it changed to Stiles sitting in his father's squad car.

_"So Maggie's been here for a two weeks now, how are things going?" Sheriff asked him._

_"Dad you know I don't want to talk about Maggie." Stiles said simply._

_"I saw you took the box out of the attic. Planning on giving it to her?" Stiles seemed to freeze up a bit._

_"It wouldn't matter now anyway. Why would she want a box full of junk?" Stiles asked rolling his eyes._

_"It's not junk son. You've got 6 years worth of letters to her and birthday gifts. You don't think she'll love those things?" The Sheriff asked incredulously._

_"I think it will just make me look pathetic. I've always needed Maggie more than she's needed me. Why is that? How can I be so angry with her but know that no matter what I do or say I really need in my life to feel like myself?" Stiles asked looking at his father for guidance._

_"That's what love's about. When you lose someone you love, you lose a part of yourself. Sometimes you can move on without and sometimes you just pretend you're okay with what's left of you but the truth is the only way to fill that void is to accept the loss." The Sheriff looked over at his son making him nod._

_"What if I let her in and she leaves again? I wished for her to come home for years and she's finally here and my fear of losing her again keeps me from letting her within arms distance of me." Stiles explained._

_"Then you ask yourself one question: is she worth it?" Their eyes met and Stiles smiled._

_"If I tell you she is then you need to promise to forget this entire conversation. I'm not ready to make nice just yet but when I do I'm sure you'll be the first person I tell." Stiles said making his father grin._

_"Take your time with it son." He patted Stiles shoulder and the memory diminished to another memory of Stiles and I lying in his bed studying. I had dozed off and he looked up and noticed._

_"And she's down for the count." Stiles smiled as he quietly shut my book and put it on the desk. He got off the bed slowly trying not to wake me as I grabbed a blanket and laid it on top of me._

_"While I hate you passing out during study time, I do enjoy how nice my bed smells after you've slept in it." He said aloud making sure I was covered from my shoulders to my toes. He knelt down next to the bed and moved a piece of my hair out of my face before letting out a sigh._

_"You're my best friend Maggie Stevens and I need you more than you'll ever know." He said before leaning up and kissing my forehead._

_"I'd be lost without you." He whispered before pulling away and standing up. He looked down at me once more before quietly exiting the room._

I finally pulled out of the latch and tried to catch my breath. Stiles cheeks were red and he was also trying to catch his breath.

"When you first came back, I was scared to let you back in but now I'm just terrified of losing you." Stiles panted. I couldn't help but smile and he looked surprised.

"Would now be a really bad time to hug you because I really want to hug you?" Stiles said making me laugh as I got to my feet and pulled him up into a hug. It was a tight hug and I could feel his heart beating against his chest.

"Thank you…thank you for letting me see you." I whispered into his chest.

"This isn't a goodbye hug okay? We're going to get you that phone and I'm going to have to demand at least a phone call a day." Stiles said making me laugh.

"Don't hurt me again, Stiles. I can't keep doing this. It's too much. Just be honest with me. Either you're with me or you're not. I'll understand if you can't-" He pulled away and looked at me.

"Hey…I'm with you…until the very bitter end okay? Just…hug me. I've miss the hell out of you." He pulled me back to his chest and I held onto him. I was engulfed by his smell and his warmth. Nothing felt more like home then Stiles. That was the truth. I knew it wasn't his fault that Louis was killed but the only thing I truly questioned was how much he could hate me to expose me to Lydia. Seeing what I saw made me think twice about condemning Stiles so quickly.

"I'm still scared Stiles." I said feeling a bit weak for admitting it.

"I know. I'm scared too but as long as we're scared together we'll be okay." Stiles kissed the top of my head and I turned my head to kiss his cheek but something happened. Stiles must have had the same idea because he had also turned his head to face me and the next thing I knew my lips were on his. My heart sped up and I put my hand on his chest to push away but we let it linger for a moment before actually doing so.

"I-uh-I didn't-I was just-" He stuttered quickly as a blush colored his cheeks instantly. I was in such shock I honestly couldn't form words.

"I should…I should go inside." I wrapped my arms around myself and Stiles looked disappointed.

"Yeah you probably should. Derek wanted me to remind you to do the protection spell. I can stick around if you want?" Stiles asked but I shook my head with a smile.

"The spell will be fine. Just be careful going home." I said earning a nod. He turned away from me as I walked up the steps and did the spell protecting the house. He smiled seeing the ring go up around it before fading like there was nothing there at all.

"Hey Stiles." I called out to him and he looked back.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Text me when you get home so I know you're okay and tell your dad I said hello." I smiled at him and he smiled softly.

"I'll do that. Goodnight Maggie." He walked down the street and I saw the jeep parked not too far away. I walked into the house and let out a sigh.

"I see you're talking to Stiles again. That's good, I suppose." Karen was sitting in the living room with open boxes sitting around her.

Things between us have been off since Louis's death. I wanted to just be real with her but I feared her hating me and telling me to my face. If I could forgive Stiles and Scott in one night than maybe I should just handle all my demons in one fell swoop.

"I need to ask you two questions but I don't want you to get mad at me." I said catching her attention.

"Do...do you blame Stiles for us having to move again?" I asked seeing her eyebrows cock.

"No of course not. We knew we were never truly safe with your father still out there. Stiles made the mistake of speaking out of anger but who isn't guilty of that. He apologized to you so I don't see why you would still be angry with him anyway." Karen said sounding very judgmental.

"Do you blame me for Louis's death?" I said bluntly earning a zoned out stare.

"Is that what you think?" She asked me confused.

"I don't want you to lie to me if you do. You've been keeping me at arm's length since it happened and I just need to know if you blame me. I'd understand if you did but please don't try to tell me you haven't been pushing away because these stupid powers we have tell me otherwise so unless you're willing to go against what you've been telling me to pay attention to then just be honest with me. I can take it." I wiped a tear away quickly hoping she wouldn't see it.

"Wow." She said putting her head in her hands. I stood unsure of what to do until she looked up at me with concern.

"I am so sorry Maggie." She started to get upset and I walked over to sit down next to her.

"I-it's okay. Don't be sorry. I'm a burden. I know that." I rubbed her back and she shook her head.

"You aren't a burden. I'm sorry I made you feel like you were. I'm sorry I made you think I was pushing you away because of Louis's death. I never meant for it to come across as that." She wept.

"Then why have you been pushing me away?" I asked confused.

"Because I didn't want to break down in front of you like I'm doing now. I didn't want you to be scared because the truth is I'm terrified, for us. I'm supposed to be the strong one." She cried and I put my arms around her and thought of what Stiles had just told me not even moments ago.

"Someone once told me that it's okay to be scared as long as you aren't scared alone. We're going to get through this." I hugged her and she took my hands into hers.

"You remind me so much of your mother when you do that. She always had a way of calming people down." She smiled through her tears.

"Do you think someday will ever be peaceful? I mean I always felt like I'd have to die in order for all of this to just stop." I said seeing concern cross her face once more.

"You don't honestly blame yourself for all of this do you? Maggie, if this is truly your father then you can't take his horrible deeds on your shoulders. Caroline, Evie and your mother would give their lives twice over to protect you. Death is hardly the last step for us." She looked down at my mother's necklace and put her hand on it.

"You know what this is right?" She said running her fingers over it.

"It's the blood connection. Mom gave it to me before she died." I said seeing Karen nod before reaching into her pocket and pulling out three more that looked just like moms.

"As a family, our bloodline is powerful so when each of us die we pass on the bloodlines. When put together, you are an unstoppable force. So you see death isn't our greatest fear. Our greatest fear is that you won't be ready when the time comes for you to take on that power. We protect you because you are the future of this family. You will inherit all those powers." She put her hand on my cheek and I felt the weight of that responsibility instantly.

"What if I fail? What if I can't do it alone?" I asked anxiously and she stroked my face.

"You wouldn't be alone." She pulled me into a hug and I thought of the boys. If Karen was right then that meant I would always need Scott and Stiles by my side because my future is going to be too heavy to carry on my own.

**[Stiles's POV]**

I sat in the jeep for what seemed like forever thinking about what happened with Maggie and while I was thrilled she'd forgiven me I was worried our accidental kiss would make things weird. I actually dozed off watching her house from down the block. I woke up at 8AM and headed home once I saw her and Karen up in her room working on packing up their witchy gear. She'd probably kill me if she knew I called it that but I didn't really know what else to call it.

As soon as I walked through the door my dad looked at me with an angry frown.

"Hello teenage son who stays out all night and doesn't bother calling his father back. I hope you have one hell of an excuse." Dad sat his coffee mug down and I rubbed my eyes trying to think quickly.

"Scott tell you why I didn't make the game?" I asked.

"Your nerves but I don't buy that so how about you give me the truth." He demanded.

"I found out Maggie was there to watch us play and I literally couldn't bring my legs to move. All I kept thinking was that I would screw up the game and she would leave knowing I was not only a failure as a friend but as a lacrosse player too." I covered and Dad's eyebrows shifted lifting some of his anger.

"What about last night? Did your paralysis make your fingers go numb too or did you just forget to call?" He asked trying to hold onto his anger but I was wearing him down.

"No I actually took your advice and went to talk to Maggie." I said honestly.

"Really? How did it go?" He looked surprised.

"It went…great." I said with a smile and suddenly my dad looked panicked.

"How great?" He asked.

"Oh no no not that great. She forgave me and we worked out a way to keep in touch while she's away." I said making my dad let out a breath.

"God, you scared the crap out of me. You spend the whole night out with Maggie and tell me things went great, my mind instantly thinks you two had sex. What was I thinking?" My mouth was agape.

"I'll try not to be offended by that last comment." I said biting my lip thinking about what sex might be like with Maggie or just merely being naked. My dad caught me.

"Nothing like that happened, right?" He wanted confirmation.

"Well no we didn't have sex." I said not meeting his eyes as I walked to the fridge to retrieve some juice.

"Why do I feel a but coming on?" He asked.

"We sort of, kind of kissed on accident." I said feeling myself blush. I hated that I was so fair that it showed instantly.

"Ah so that's why it was so great. Well I'm happy for you son. I'm glad you two worked through things. Just try not to get too attached." He went back to retrieve his coffee mug and I tilted my head at him.

"What do you mean?" I asked confused.

"Son, she's leaving soon. There's nothing we can do to stop that and her aunt is pregnant. Wherever they end up will probably be their new home for a while." He explained making my stomach turn.

"Once her dad gets caught she'll come back. It'll be safe then." I said but my dad just looked at me with pity in his eyes.

"Just don't get your hopes up son. I've got to get to work. Try and stay out of trouble tonight, alright?" He patted my shoulder before walking out of the door. I grabbed a quick shower before laying down on the couch ready to take a nap but after closing my eyes for not even 5 seconds my phone rang.

"Hey it's me. Can you pick me up? I'm about a mile from Allison's house." It was Scott.

"I'm on the way buddy." I hauled tired body to my feet and grabbed my keys before walking out of the door. Scott was walking down the street where he said he'd be.

"How'd it go?" I asked as he got into the jeep.

"I fell off the house but other than that it went well. How about you and Maggie? Did you make up?" I felt my tense at his question.

"What?! Why would you ask me that? We don't makeout. PSH." I tried to play it cool but looked over at Scott as he furrowed his brows together.

"I said make up not...YOU MADE OUT WITH MAGGIE?!" Scott freaking out and my eyes went wide.

"No of course not. It was an accident. We were hugging and I went to kiss her cheek but apparently she was thinking the same thing and it just happened. Don't make a big deal about it. It's cool." I said letting the sudden silence engulf me before holding my breath.

"You're freaking out, aren't you?" Scott asked and I let the breath out.

"YES! We finally patched things up and then that happened and it got all weird." I let my head fall on the steering wheel and Scott laughed.

"Was it at least good?" He asked and I glanced over at him squinting.

"If I said yes then you have to take it to the grave." I threatened and he put his hands up.

"Well in other news, the Argent's now think Jackson's the second beta. I heard them talking about it at the game." Scott said making me roll my eyes.

"Great. Now what do we do?" I asked as Jackson sped past us.

"Now we babysit Jackson to make sure he doesn't get himself or me killed." Scott sighed. I was about to pull out on the street to follow when Mr. Argent sped after him not too far behind.

"No rest for the wicked. Let's go." I pulled out to follow Chris Argent but Scott kept telling me not to follow too closely. I stopped the car when Scott put his hand up to listen to whatever it was that Jackson and Chris were saying.

"He's asking about the scratch on his neck." Scott said confused before waving me on frantically.

"He said claw marks! Go! GO!" Scott rushed me and I punched the accelerator. We pulled up on them and tried to play it cool.

"What's up!?" I said jerking my head up.

"Everything okay?" Scott asked.

"Hey Scott, your friend here was just having car trouble. We were just taking a look." Chris Argent said but he didn't have me fooled.

"There's a shop right down the street, I'm sure they have a tow truck." Scott pointed backwards.

"Yeah, you want a ride?" I asked and Jackson looked too scared to move as Scott opened the door.

"Come on Jackson. You are far too pretty to be out here all by your lonesome." I added and he seemed to finally get the balls to move away from Chris. Scott jumped out to let Jackson in when Christ yelled.

"Hey boys." He walked to the driver's side of Jackson's car and turned it on.

"I told you I knew a few things about cars." He walked back to his truck and we all sat there looking at one another waiting for him to leave. The moment he was out of sight, Jackson turned angrily towards Scott.

"What are you following me now?" He asked making Scott slam my door. I hopped out in case I had to break up a fight.

"Yes you stupid freaking idiot. You almost gave away everything right there." Scott yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Jackson was lost.

"He thinks you're the second beta." Scott told him only earning more confused looks.

"What?" He asked once more enraging Scott.

"HE THINKS YOU'RE ME!" Scott punched the side of the jeep and I finally stepped up.

"Dude…my jeep." I saw the anger on his face.

"I could hear your heart beating from a mile away, literally. Now he thinks something's wrong and I'm going to have to keep an eye on you so he doesn't KILL YOU TOO!" Scott growled before turning back to my jeep. I lunged forward and grabbed him.

"Okay okay how about we step away from Stiles' jeep?" I asked pulling him away. While I was glad he wasn't pummeling Jackson in the back parking lot, I wasn't okay with him taking it out on my jeep.

"You know what? This is your problem, not mine. I didn't say anything which means you're the one that's going to get me killed. This is your fault." Jackson shoved Scott back into the jeep and I threw my hands up.

"CAN WE STOP HITTING MY JEEP!?" I yelled as Scott pushed Jackson backwards. I stepped between them and put my hands out.

"Guys just stop!" They took a moment to take a deep breath before Scott finally calmed down enough to speak.

"When they come after you, I won't be able to protect you. I can't protect anyone." Scott said with defeat in his tone as he looked at me.

"What are you looking at me for?" I asked but Jackson interrupted.

"Now you have to do it. Get me what I want and I'll be fine protecting myself." Jackson said like it was so easy.

"No you won't. Just trust me. All it does is make things worse." Scott said honestly.

"Really? You can hear anything you want, run faster than humanly possible. Sounds like a real hardship to me." Jackson had no idea what he was asking for.

"Yeah I can run really fast now but half the time I'm running from people trying to kill me and I can hear things like my girlfriend telling people she doesn't trust me anymore right before breaking up with me. I'm not lying to you. It ruins your life." Scott had lost a lot because of the bite and I didn't envy that one bit but Jackson still didn't seem to care.

"It ruined your life. You had all the power in the world and you didn't know what to do with it. You know what it's actually like? You turn 16 and someone bought you a Porsche when they should have started you out in a nice little Honda. Me? I drive a Porsche." Jackson glared before walking back over to his car and speeding off. Scott turned around and rested his head against the jeep door.

"I don't know if I can do this Stiles. I can't protect everyone." Scott groaned.

"No one expects you too, Scott. You do what you can but you aren't superman." I patted him on his back and he looked over at me.

"Come on, let's go see Maggie." I said seeing him snicker at me.

"I don't want to hear it McCall. Just get in the jeep." I said walking around to get in. Scott put his hands up before getting in. On the way over he kept looking around at the trees near the reserve.

"Do you think Maggie really likes that Isaac kid?" I blurted pulling his attention from the trees.

"Why would you ask me that? Better yet, why would you care?" Scott laughed.

"I've just never really seen her date in the months that she's been here or before that so I was just curious as to what type of guys she might be into." I couldn't meet his stares.

"Is this your way of telling me you might kiss her again?" Scott teased.

"No, maybe, I don't know. Can you please not say anything about it? I don't want things to be weird with us. We don't have enough time to fix our friendship if it crashes and burns." I asked genuinely. Scott looked at me with a cocked eyebrow.

"What happened to Lydia? I mean I know the kiss kind of changes things but are you done chasing after her?" Scott asked and I thought about it. Lydia still made my heart race but the weird thing was that she wasn't the only one anymore.

"I'm in the middle of my 5 year plan, remember? Lydia is still on the table." I said with a smile which made Scott roll his eyes.

"Hey, I'm going to make a stop first. I'll meet you over at Maggie's." Scott jumped out of the jeep.

"Is everything okay?" I asked worried he was picking up something I wasn't.

"Just want to check something out. Try not to get into any trouble. Karen's probably at home so no making out." Scott patted the jeep and I gave him a mocking laugh.

"Oh was that a joke? That was hilarious. How about you leave the jokes to me?" I yelled out of the window as he ran towards the trees.

**[Scott's POV]**

I picked up on Allison's scent right away as it tumbled through the trees. She was supposed to be spending time with her dad today but after seeing him with Jackson I realized there must be a change of plans. When I picked up the faint smell of fire I started to run. When the scent got stronger I also picked up Lydia's but hers was closer to the fire than Allison's was so I started to creep through the trees. I finally spotted her. Her necklace weighed heavy in my pocket and I knew this would be a good moment to talk to her. I started to walk down to the path she was walking on when she suddenly spun around and pointed something at me.

"Scott?" She had shot me with a taser and held the button as she approached me.

"TRIGGER FINGER!" I mumbled as I was being electrocuted. She turned the taser off and knelt down next to me.

"I'm so so so sorry." She said looking me over.

"No it's my fault, totally my fault." I squeezed my eyes shut trying to adjust to the lingering pain.

"Are you okay?" She asked as my body jolted.

"Yeah I'm fine." I said opening my eyes.

"I'm so sorry, if I would have known it was you I-" I cut her panic off.

"Still would have pulled the trigger?" I joked.

"No of course not. Seriously I'm so sorry. Are you sure you're okay?" She pulled the little daggers out of my chest and I shook my head.

"Yeah I think so." I sat up on my elbows and she sighed.

"What are you doing out here anyway? Are you following us?" She asked curiously.

"No of course not. Your dad told me you ran this trail sometimes and I was hoping to catch you alone." I said trying to cover.

"By following me?" She added making what I just said sound way creeper than I intended it.

"Yeah I guess that does sound creepy." I admitted.

"What were you following me for?" She asked and I reached into my pocket.

"I found this at school." I held out her necklace and she gasped excitedly as she took it.

"Thank God! I was beginning to think it was stolen!" She said putting it on.

"Not stolen, just lost." I said quickly.

"Thank you for finding it and for bringing it." She smiled.

"You don't think I'm a total stalker now do you?" I asked afraid for the answer.

"Hmm no I just think you're weird like you always are." She laughed. I sat all the way up and she stared at me for a minute. We were caught between the comforts of friends and wanting more and I think we were both growing tired of it. She leaned forward and hugged me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her and took in her warmth.

"I guess I better get back to torturing Lydia" Allison said pulling out of the hug.

"I'm almost afraid to ask. What did she do this time?" I asked curiously.

"Well she broke the girl code and kissed someone I really like so now she's going to take someone to the dance of my choosing." I felt a lump in my throat. She knew the truth.

"Who did you have in mind?" I asked and she bit her lip.

"I guess you'll have to wait and see." She got to her feet and held out her hand.

"Are you going to be okay getting out of here?" She asked as I got to my feet.

"Yeah I'll be fine. I'm meeting up with Maggie at her house which isn't far so I'll be fine, thanks." I smiled and she nodded.

"I guess I'll see you around. Tell Maggie I said hey." Allison walked back towards where she had come from and glanced over her shoulder at me. I felt the aftermath of the taser in my knees as I started out of the woods. I didn't bother running which put me at Maggie's house just around the time I saw Stiles speed off. I ran towards Maggie and took the box from her to put on the truck.

"Oh now you show up? I'm practically done." She laughed.

"Where was Stiles going?" I asked gesturing to the exhaust that followed in the air.

"Allison texted him and said something about a sweet deal. I don't really know but he sat on it for like 10 minutes before I told him to get out of here." She laughed.

"He's an idiot." I sighed.

"Uh oh, is this sweet deal not so sweet?" She asked closing the door on the moving truck.

"I'm not sure you want to hear it." I winced unsure of how she would react.

"Ah so it's something with Lydia." She sat down on the front step picking up the tape and black marker she was using to mark the boxes.

"It's actually kind of stupid. Allison is going to pick Lydia's winter formal date since she made a pass at me. How did you know about Lydia though?" I asked curiously.

"Ever since I told you I liked Stiles when were kids, you've always made that face when Stiles got excited over Lydia. I'm a big girl Scott. Stiles can chase whoever he wants to. I'm used to it." She chuckled.

"Yeah I just thought since you guys-" I stopped myself and she turned towards me.

"He told you about the kiss?" She asked.

"If it helps we had a conversation about what kind of guys you might be interested in." I followed her inside knowing that the protection spell must not be up.

"The kiss was an accident and as far as the guys I date, that would be none. I'm always moving and my life is a bit hectic don't you think? Most guys aren't really into teenage witches." She winked at me.

"Isaac doesn't seem to care." I said testing the waters.

"I missed my chance with Isaac. Besides I'm leaving so what does it matter how I feel about dating? Let's talk about better things." She laughed and I felt sort of bad for her.

"What better things would that be?" I asked.

"How you plan to ask Allison to the winter formal." She said folding her hands on the table in front of us just as Karen walked in.

"Winter formal? When's that?" Karen looked like she was feeling better. As good as one can look after losing the person the love I mean.

"It's Friday and I don't know if Allison's at that point yet." I said honestly.

"Every girl wants to attend dances with the guy they care about. That's like common sense." Karen said making me smile.

"Even if the guy is a total idiot when it comes to women?" I asked.

"That would be every guy." Maggie said pinching my cheek. Someone knocked at the door and I got up.

"I'll get it. No love for the lesser sex in here." I said opening the front door.

"Isaac? What are you doing here?" I asked earning a smack on the arm from Maggie.

"I-ah- I brought these to express my condolences." He handed Maggie flowers and Karen came to the door as well.

"That's very sweet of you. I've heard a lot about you." Karen said shaking his hand.

"What happened to your eye?" I asked out of the blue earning another hit from Maggie.

"How about we talk outside?" Maggie said grabbing Isaac's arm.

"It was nice to meet you Isaac." Karen waved as Maggie shut the door behind them. I stood by the door and I heard Karen laugh.

"You know when Maggie told me that you were bitten, I thought it would be easier to keep her away from you but seeing how protective you are for her makes me realize I was wrong." I turned to look at her.

"Well how do you feel now?" I asked hesitantly following her away from the door. She sat down at the kitchen counter and sighed.

"When this is all over, I won't be around to protect her. She'll need what family she has left and that's you. You are what you are now and we are what we've always been. The only question now is how deep your bond will take you." She said confusing me slightly.

"I'd do anything to protect Maggie. Being what I am now doesn't change that." I said truthfully. She eyed me for a moment before picking up a kitchen knife.

"Are you willing to cement that promise?" She asked holding the knife up.

"Um…depends. Are you going to stab me?" I asked growing nervous.

"Do you know what a blood ties are?" She asked me stepping closer.

"No." I said.

"When you make a promise with a witch and cement it in blood tie then the promise can never be broken without consequence. It would ensure that you'd never betray Maggie without fatal events following." Karen explained. I thought about what she said and realized it was like a blood pact. I never planned on betraying Maggie in anyway no matter whatever the battle was between werewolves and witches may be. I wasn't going to help Peter kill Maggie either.

"Let's do this then." I said holding my hand out.

**[Maggie's POV]**

I took Isaac outside to avoid Scott's weird questions but the moment he stood under the porch light I saw his bruised eye clear as day.

"Yikes, I didn't think your eye could look any worse but now that I'm seeing it under this light it looks way worse. Does it hurt?" I reached up but he pulled away slightly.

"Uh no no it's fine. No pain at all." He lied. We stood awkwardly for a moment until I cleared my throat making him snap out of his thoughts.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about something-ask you something." He seemed to find his voice and it made me nervous.

"I'm not in trouble am I? Because if I am then I totally blame stress. A girl can't be held responsible when she's juggling 20 life plates." I joked but he still kept a serious face.

"No no you aren't in trouble or anything I just wanted to know what you were doing on Saturday?" He asked and I tried to think about it.

"Well we're almost done packing so I guess…cleaning which makes me want to kind of put my face in a pillow and scream." I said seeing him look slightly disappointed.

"Oh okay well nevermind then. I was going to see if maybe you'd want to go to the winter formal with me but if you've got other plans…" I couldn't help but smile. Isaac was asking me out again and it reminded me of the conversation I just had with Scott. Why should I let another opportunity pass?

"I'd love to go to the winter formal with you." I said as he backed away towards the steps.

"I guess I'll just- wait what?" He stopped in his tracks and his eyes went wide.

"Yes, I'll go with you. It's pretty much my last weekend of fun here so I might as well spend it doing something fun with someone who makes me smile." I said taking a single step towards him.

"Are you sure? I mean you don't have to if you don't want to." He stepped closer and I looked up at him.

"I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't want to go with you." I smiled and he finally let himself smile.

"Alright then it's a date." He had a really nice smile.

"Do you mind if I try something really quick? It will hopefully be painless." I said making him laugh.

"Um sure." He shrugged and I put my hand on his chest. I had to stand on my tip toes to reach his lips but when he realized what I was doing he leaned over. His lips were soft against mine. Not ordinary soft but like extremely soft like he was afraid to kiss me. The front door flew open and Scott cleared his throat.

"Hate to interrupt." Scott said glaring at Isaac.

"I-uh-I should get going. We'll talk tomorrow?" Isaac said pointing to me as I bit my lip.

"Yeah, we'll talk then." I said as he tripped down the steps and awkwardly walked out of the yard.

"If you opened that door just to butt in then I'm going to tell Allison you like to dress in drag." I threatened Scott.

"Actually I need to get home. Mom apparently has a date tonight and I want to check this guy out. Make sure he's not some freak." Scott said shutting the door.

"You've got blood on your shirt." I pointed and he waved it off.

"It's nothing. Must have cut myself helping Karen. So can I trust that you'll stay in and be careful tonight or are you going to go kiss a few more lucky guys?" Scott teased and I punched his arm.

"Don't tell Stiles about what you just saw okay? I don't want there to be any drama." I asked him and Scott tilted his head up.

"Only if you tell me what's going on with you and Lahey." He crossed his arms over his chest and I sighed.

"He asked me to the formal…and I said yes." I smiled and Scott shook his head.

"Is that what you really want?" He asked. I let out a sigh and ran my hand through my hair.

"I just want to stop waiting for things to happen. Maybe this is a fresh start for me." I said optimistically. Scott stepped forward and put his arms around me.

"Don't give up on the old before running off with the new. You don't need to rush." He kissed the top of my head before letting me go.

"Call me and let me know how weird your new step dad is." I joked and he pushed me.

"Stay in tonight." He pointed at me as he walked down the steps. He gestured to the house and I rolled my eyes doing the protection spell to appease him.

"Oh and try to steer clear of Derek. He's kind of stressed out about this whole Alpha thing so he's more than likely to bite off your head." Scott warned and I didn't really care. I hadn't actually heard from Derek in a few days so I figured he was caught up in the Alpha search. I walked back inside and Karen was smiling.

"So I hear you're going to the winter formal with Isaac. Well Scott heard and started freaking out." Karen smiled at me making me blush.

"Is that okay? I mean we're almost done here and I could be in before 11-" Karen cut me off.

"Maggie, you know things will be fine here. Go and have fun. Have a night to remember with your friends and in the morning we'll go back to reality." Karen took my hands and I smiled.

"I kissed him." I blurted.

"Well go ahead!" She slapped my hands playfully and I laughed.

"I don't know I just wanted to test the waters with him. I might as well live it up now. I may never see him again." I pointed out.

"Don't think like that. Let's focus more on a dress instead. I actually have something I want to put together for you. Can I show you?" Karen asked looking more excited than I was.

"Of course!" We jumped up and ran up to her room. We spent the next hour or so putting patterns together from what she had in the attic. I used material from one of my mom's old dresses and Karen started to draw a picture of what she thought would look cute. It had gotten dark out before we even noticed what time it was and Karen jumped up.

"I forgot I was supposed to meet with Nathan. Hopefully he hasn't left yet." I looked at her confused.

"He's in town?" I asked. It was certainly news to me. He hadn't made it to the wake.

"Yeah he ran into some bad weather but finally made it." Karen said pulling her coat on.

"I was always told he was a pirate so I figured he wasn't real." I asked as I helped her down the stairs.

"Just legal things with the company. Louis left him in charge so he has to take care of it now." Karen sighed as I handed her the keys and she looked at me.

"Are you okay to go alone?" I asked but before she could answer my phone rang.

"No no I'm fine. Just try to stay out of trouble tonight okay? I'll be back in an hour." She kissed my cheek and I watched her get in her car before answering my phone.

**[Stiles's POV]**

I got home from shopping with Lydia and Allison about 15 minutes ago and felt like I was on top of the world. Things were good with Maggie and me and I was now Lydia Martin's date for the winter formal. I felt like a king as I swigged right out of the milk jug. I spotted Dad sitting at the kitchen table with papers surrounding him.

"Whatcha doing?" I probed.

"Work." He said simply.

"Anything I can help with?" I asked hopeful.

"You know, if you poured me an ounce of whiskey that would be awfully nice." He made a hand gesture showing how much he wanted and I quickly grabbed him the whiskey and a glass.

"So how was moving things with Maggie? Were things awkward?" Dad asked.

"Uh no I actually left earlier to go shopping with Allison and Lydia." I said making him look up.

"And why would you go shopping with Allison and Lydia?" He asked confused.

"Because you're now looking at Lydia Martin's winter formal date." I grinned walking to the table.

"What about Maggie?" He asked putting his hand up.

"Maggie probably won't be going to the formal besides you were the one who told me not to get attached, remember?" I reminded him and he sighed.

"I meant don't get your hopes up, not trample the girls feelings." Dad ran a hand through his hair as I sat down at the table.

"Any leads?" I asked reaching for a document but earning a hand smack.

"You know I can't discuss that with you." Dad looked over his glasses at me then back at his paperwork as I started to pour.

"Not too much." He reminded me. I put an ounce in the glass before looking at him. If he did have leads then he certainly wouldn't tell me sober. I kept pouring until it was nearly full before recapping the bottle.

"Okay, there you go dad." I sat the glass on his coaster and he picked it up without looking at it.

"Bottoms up." He said before draining the glass. How he didn't realize how much was in there was beyond me but I knew it hit him hard the moment he put it down.

"You know Derek Hale would be a whole Hale of a lot...Hale of a lot?" Dad said out loud.

"Hell of a lot?" I suggested and he smiled giving me the thumbs up.

"He'd be hell of a lot easier to catch if we could get an actual picture of him." Dad said looking at his papers.

"How do you not have a picture of him?" I asked confused.

"Every time we tried to get a mug shot there were like two laser beams pointing at the camera." Dad said as I grabbed the mug shot to see what he was talking about. I knew there eyes were sensitive to bright lights so that explains the ruined mug shot.

"Nice." I said putting the picture down just as dad sat his glasses on top of the paperwork.

"Wow that ounce hit me like a brick and I've already said too much so you better not repeat this to anyone else." Dad pointed at me and I played it cool.

"Dad! Come on, it's me. I'm not going to tell anyone." I said picking up another file and looking at it.

"You see the thing that's weird is they are all connected. The bus driver that got killed was the insurance investigator assigned to the Hale house fire." Dad said holding the document.

"Terminated under the suspicion of fraud." I read the bottom line.

"Exactly." Dad agreed.

"Who else?" I asked looking at the mess of files.

"The video clerk that got his throat slashed was a convicted felon with a history of arson." Dad explained and I thought about the guys in the woods.

"What about those other two guys? The guys that got killed in the woods?" I asked.

"Priors all over their records including-" I cut him off.

"Arson. Maybe they all had something to do with the fire." I mumbled. Dad sat back and looked like he was pulling out of his drunken stupor.

"Another shot?" I offered holding the bottle up.

"No no, no more." He said waving his hand over the table.

"Come on dad, you work really hard alright? You deserve it." I said watching my dad's strength falter.

"Ugh I'm gonna have such a hangover tomorrow." Dad said rubbing his head.

"You mean you're gonna have such a good night's sleep." I laughed it off as I filled his glass up.

"I'm going to have an eternity in the lowest circle of hell." I said to myself as I filled the glass to the top again knowing this one would do him in. After sitting with him for another hour going through some of the paper work and seeing Maggie's name and some question marks I started to worry. I caught the empty glass before dad dropped it off the table and he let out a tired sigh.

"Stiles…there's just so many questions." Dad slurred.

"Like what?" I asked thinking he was going to open up about what he knew about Maggie.

"If Derek wanted to kill everyone involved in the fire then why start with his sister? She had nothing to do with it. And why make it look like an animal? I mean when that cougar came out in the parking lot it was so out of the blue. I checked with animal control and they said the instance of wild animal reports had gone up 70% over the past few months around the same time Maggie came home. It's just crazy. It's like she brought the wild things home with her." Dad grumbled resting his forehead on his palm.

"Or they wild thing was waiting for her here." I said knowing he wouldn't pick up on it. My thoughts were racing. Did Peter come back because he knew Maggie would come here or did he kill her family and corner her here just so he could kill her?

"I miss talking to you like this. It's like we never have time." Dad mumbled something and I realized I was supposed to be watching Maggie's back.

"Sorry dad I've got to make a phone call." I reached into my pocket and got up from the table.

"I do, I miss it." He said again.

"I'll be right back." I pulled out my phone and pulled up Maggie's number.

"And I miss your mom." I froze.

"What did you say?" I asked as he reached for the bottle again. I walked over and stopped him from pouring another glass.

"Thanks." He whispered as he put the bottle down.

"I'll get you some water." I said unsure of what to do from here.

"I remember when you were little and you'd have a new plan on how to be a superhero. You always believed so deeply that you could change the world. It blows my mind. I believe you can." He continued to mumble to himself and I rested my head against the fridge feeling like a complete shithead. I texted Maggie for back up and prayed she wasn't busy and within 20 minutes she came bolting through the door.

"What's wrong?! Is he okay? Where is he?" She asked out of breath. I pointed to where he sat and she walked over to him carefully.

"Sheriff Stilinski? Are you alright?" She asked putting her hand on his back. He lifted his head and looked at her.

"Maggie…it's so good to see you. You look so much like your mother it reminds me of when she came to me in a dream after Claudia died and told me everything would be okay." He smiled sadly before resting his head back on the table.

"What happened to him?" Maggie asked looking back at me.

"I got him drunk so I could look at his case files. I forgot that he was a sad drunk when he had too many." I said rubbing the back of my neck. She frowned at me before putting his papers together into one stack.

"Help me get him to his bed and I'll do what I can to make sure he's not in any pain." She said putting her hand on his back again.

"Come on Sheriff, let's get you to bed." She roused him once more and he nodded. We helped him to his feet and guided him up the stairs to his bedroom. He flopped down on the bed facedown and Maggie reached into her pocket pulling a pill out and pouring a cup of water from the bathroom.

"Take this so you don't have a headache in the morning." She said sitting next to him on the bed. He leaned up and did as he was told before she threw a blanket over him.

"Good night Stiles. Good night Maggie. Good night Claudia. Love you." He passed out after that. Maggie put her hand on his head and started to mumble something but I walked into my room ashamed to even call myself a son. I sat down on my bed and stared down at my hands. I heard Maggie shuffle across the floor and couldn't look up at her.

"Thanks for coming." I said still with my eyes cast down.

"Are you okay?" She asked me leaning against the door frame. I didn't have the words to say so I just nodded my head.

"Maybe I'm just not a good person, you know? What I did to you and now I'm torturing my own father for information. I'm actually a pretty horrible person." I chuckled darkly and she moved to sit next to me.

"You aren't a terrible person. Even the kindest people can make bad decisions. He's in bed with meds in his system to keep him from having a rough morning so stop being so hard on yourself." She bumped my shoulder and I looked over at her.

"What about the mental anguish I managed to inflict on him? Can you fix that too?" I asked.

"Actually yeah. I'm good for some things I suppose." She smiled at me and I nodded.

"Stiles, your dad loves you more than anything in this world. It doesn't take a few drinks to make him miss your mom. I'm terribly sober and I miss your mom every day. She was just one of those kind of people who had a kung fu grip on your heart. The only thing the alcohol did was help him voice it." She rubbed my back and I sighed. She picked up my chin with her hands so I would look at her.

"It's okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. Next time just steal the files." She teased making me chuckle. I rested my hands on top of hers and met her gaze.

"What am I going to do once you're gone?" I asked honestly.

"Keep going. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for." She said making me roll my eyes.

"How do you know that?" I asked looking for justification and she smiled.

"You did deck Jackson that one time. That was pretty badass if you ask me." She said making me laugh.

"He was getting in your face. I had to react." I defended.

"Well you took a chance for me and I appreciate it. I'm starting to think that I need to take more chances while I'm here. I mean I'm not going to be here for much longer so I might as well do things spontaneously." She gazed at me for a moment and I bit my lip.

"I think that's a great idea. I think you should just live in the moment and do whatever you feel like doing in that moment." I urged as she stared at me.

"Y-you think so? Well maybe we should live in the moment together." She said moving slightly closer to me.

"I think that's an excellent idea." I moved closer to her unsure of where exactly to put my hands without it seeming weird.

"Well what are we going to do first?" Maggie breathed glancing at my lips. I licked them once over before I closed the space between us, this time on purpose. This was no accidental kiss. This one was much different from the first. It was strong and soft at the same time. Her lips moved against mine and I shifted my body trying not to overwhelm her and jump the gun. I tried to control my excitement but I've had dreams that started out this way. I jumped when my phone started ringing. When I opened my eyes Maggie smiled at me. I put my phone to my ear completely annoyed as I stared at her.

"Scott! Hey ah what's up? What can I do for you this-" He cut me off as Maggie tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear clearly embarrassed.

"Peter is taking my mom on a date!" Scott blurted making me sit up slightly.

"What?" I asked confused.

"I need your help. Hurry please!" Scott begged and I let out a sigh before hanging up.

"Everything alright?" Maggie asked sitting up.

"Not really. I was living in the moment and my best friend had to go and turn it into something awkward. Do you think maybe you could like…wait here? I just need to run over to Scott's and help him with something." I asked making her laugh.

"I don't know-" I cut her off.

"I kind of don't want to leave him here by himself." I gestured to my door and she shook her head.

"I guess I could. Make sure you call me okay? I don't want to sit here worrying about Scott." She said as I got up from the bed.

"I will, I promise." I said grabbing my jacket. I reached the door before turning back to face her.

"That thing-what just happened…I really liked it, like a lot." I said honestly earning a smile.

"Me too." She smiled. I nodded at her before running down the steps and out to the jeep. I sat in the driver seat for a full minute running my fingertips across my lip which was now tingling.

**[Scott's POV]**

I got home and started to check my messages as she got ready for her date. I had missed another deadline for a paper and apparently skipped out on a detention for Harris so I was pretty much screwed on the school front. The knock at the door made me sigh.

"Not now mom." It was only answered with another knock.

"I said not now." I walked to the door and opened it ready to tell my mom off but was taken back when I saw Allison standing there.

"Sorry your mom let me in. Can we talk?" She asked. I opened the door wider letting her in and she sat down on my bed. We sat there for 15 minutes in an awkward silence and I feared out hug today may have set us back.

"So I heard you picked Stiles as your guy to torture Lydia with." I said breaking the silence.

"I figured it was more for him than it would be for her. At the very least he'll be happy." She explained.

"Yeah you kind of made his day. Even Maggie got asked to the dance." I pointed out.

"I didn't think she would still be here. Now I feel terrible." Allison put her hand on her head.

"You know Maggie likes Stiles?" I asked surprised.

"Well yeah it's not hard to figure it out plus she kind of told me. She speaks very highly about you both but I can tell her love for you is different from her love for Stiles." Allison explained.

"Yeah." I agreed but that sunk us back into another awkward silence.

"I'm sorry did you want me to say anything?" I asked her and she shook her head.

"No." She said.

"Did you want me to leave you alone for a few minutes?" I asked making her frown.

"Why would I want that?" She asked confused.

"I don't know it's just that you came in here wanting to talk and we keep falling in these awkward silences that are starting to freak me out." She laughed at that and I felt her relax a bit.

"Sorry it's a little hard to start." She let out a deep breath before looking at me.

"This is going to sound really ridiculous…I guess I just I don't want you to laugh at me." She rolled her eyes.

"I'd never laugh at you." I said seriously.

"It's about my family. A little while ago I caught them in a lie, small one. When my aunt first arrived she had car trouble and my dad said it was a flat tire but she said she needed a jump start." She said and I remember that being the night that Derek was shot.

"Maybe it was a little miscommunication." I said trying to play it off.

"Yeah that's what I thought too but then I found glass on her care like the window had been smashed in." She looked scared.

"I've been overhearing some really strange conversations. I think some of it has to do with Derek but they've also mentioned Maggie and her family too." Allison admitted.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah…I think he's not-" My bedroom door opened interrupting her.

"Scott I need you to…" It was my mom and she looked really nice.

"What? What's wrong? Is it my hair…my makeup?" She asked looking worried.

"No no it's nothing. You look beautiful." I said nervously.

"You look amazing." Allison agreed.

"Why do you look so amazing? You just met this guy didn't you? Who is he even?" I said trying not to seem so overprotective but the doorbell rang.

"He's at the door and I'm not ready. Um could you go down and let him in. Just…be nice." Mom said before walking back to her room. I looked over at Allison who smiled.

"Just one minute okay?" I said before heading downstairs to meet mom's date. I barely reached the door when I felt that familiar urge rise to the surface. IT was the same one I felt in the school that night. I backed away from the door and watched the knob twist on it's own. I knew it was Peter before I opened the door but I was too terrified to admit it. The door swung open and I tried to slam it in his face but he held it open.

"Really? Slam the door in my face? Come on Scott. Take a second to think that through." Peter said. I knew he could hear my heart beating.

"I'll tell her." I threatened.

"That I used to be a catatonic burn invalid with burns covering half my face? Good luck with that." He was challenging me again.

"I-If you hurt her, if you even touch her-" He cut me off.

"Scott, if I may interrupt your listing of the top five most impotent sounding threats for a moment, try to remember that I've been in a coma for 6 years. Don't you think I'd like to have dinner with a beautiful woman?" Peter's eyes were locked on me.

"That's crap and you know its crap. Maggie's family didn't just get murdered that way by random. You've been hunting her for 6 years." I pointed at him and he stepped forward.

"That's where you are wrong Scott. I have indeed been in a coma for 6 years while the Steven's sisters were slaughtered. I'm not going to explain my reasons for wanting Maggie's dead but one thing I can say honestly is that I did not kill anyone until Laura." Peter took a deep breath in and looked at me surprised.

"Maybe you should ask the girl in your bedroom where her aunt has been for the past 6 years." I tensed knowing that Peter now knew Allison was upstairs.

"You're a liar." I said icily.

"Maybe...maybe not. Or maybe you think I've come up with an idea of how much easier it would be to convince you to be part of the pack if your mother is too. Technically that would make you and Maggie siblings then wouldn't it?" He chuckled darkly.

"For a millisecond before you murdered her just like you murdered her mother." Peter's face fell at my words and he started to walk towards me, backing me into the house.

"I didn't kill Maggie's mother. I loved her mother but what you don't seem to understand is that Maggie is a special kind of girl, a hybrid of sorts. She has the potential to be stronger than any creature that roams this earth which not only puts you in danger but everyone else that you love. I am not the enemy Scott. You can either trust me and join me or go against me and die with the others." Peter warned just as Mom came down the stairs.

"Sorry I'm ready now." Mom took Peter's arm and started out of the door.

"Mom!" I called after her making her turn around.

"Yes sweetheart?" She gave me this look that pleaded not to ruin her first date out in a while and I swallowed my fear temporarily.

"Have a good time." I choked out. Peter smirked at me as they walked down the walkway towards his car. I had no idea what else to do besides call Stiles. The only way I could protect Maggie and Allison was to keep them both away from Peter.

**[Maggie's POV]**

I checked on John three times before Stiles finally texted to tell me that him and Scott were tailing Ms. McCall on her date because the guys was "sketchy". I begged them to let her have a normal night. I went through the house and started to clean up little things. Newspapers left out, dishes in the sink, flipping the laundry and making sure things would still be okay in the morning once John woke up. I couldn't help but peek into my old room to see that nothing had changed. They left it exactly the same. I figured they would put boxes back in here but they hadn't they even kept the sheets on the bed the same. I checked on John one last time before going back down stairs to lay on the couch. I had a feelings Stiles wouldn't be home any time soon and thought maybe a nap would be alright but the moment I closed my eyes my cell rang. An unknown number popped up but I answered it anyway.

"Why are you not at your house?! Where are you!?" It was Derek.

"Stiles needed me. I'm at his house. Where have you been?" I asked sitting up.

"I don't have much time. You need to get your aunt and get the hell out of Beacon Hills tonight. There is no time to explain Maggie, you need to go." Derek sounded scared which sent me into a panic.

"What's going on Derek? Talk to me." I got up to pace the floor.

"I found your father. He knows where you are and it's not safe for you here anymore. You need to get your aunt and get out of here now." Derek sounded like he himself was running.

"I can't just leave-" Derek growled into the phone.

"DAMNIT MAGGIE! I'M TRYING TO SAVE YOUR LIFE! JUST GO!" Derek hung up the phone and I looked at the screen. The number wasn't blocked so I ran upstairs to enter it into Stiles computer tracing it to the Hale house.

"Why the hell..." Derek knew it wasn't safe for him there. I bit my lip looking at my phone and considering calling Stiles until I saw note on his desktop labeled Lydia. Out of curiosity I clicked on it and saw a list of all her favorite things, when her birthday was and what gift ideas he had for this year. The kisses we shared in the past two days would never really mean anything because he was so in love with Lydia. I'd always be second best and I knew it. One thing was for certain, I needed to stop waiting around for that to change.

I ran downstairs and put my coat on before doing a protection spell around the Stilinski house. I got in my car and drove towards the remains of the Hale house. I saw Derek's car parked outside of the house and heard noise from inside.

"PLEASE! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" I ran into the house to see Derek cornering Jackson on the steps.

"Derek what the hell are you doing?" I asked confused.

"Why the hell are you here Maggie?! You shouldn't be here!" Derek growled.

"I don't deserve it." Jackson cried.

"I think you do." Derek snarled.

"I don't!" Jackson insisted.

"LOOK AROUND YOU! Wouldn't there be someone here trying to save you? She's here looking for me, not you." Derek gestured to me.

"Derek, you can't do this." I touched his arm and he yanked it away.

"No one cares that you drive an expensive car. NO ONE CARES THAT YOU HAVE PERFECT HAIR AND NO ONE CARES THAT YOU'RE CAPTAIN OF THE LACROSSE TEAM!" Derek shouted at Jackson who coward on the steps.

"Excuse me...Co-Captain." Scott appeared at the top of the steps and lept down to stand in front of Jackson.

"Get out of my way." Derek warned.

"No." Scott said simply.

"Please both of you need to calm down. It doesn't need to be this way." I begged but was ignored.

"Fine then I'll kill you too." Derek wolfed out and snarled at Scott when a sudden whistling noise came from outside.

"COVER YOUR EYES!" Derek yelled before yanking me to the floor just before an arrow whizzed past my head and exploded like a flash grenade. I screamed right before gun shots started firing through the broken down death trap. Derek pulled me into the corner and I looked up to see Scott get hit right in the side.

"SCOTT!" I screamed trying to get out of Derek's hold.

"DON'T! YOU'LL GET HIT!" Derek yelled at me so I could hear him but when Scott turned back into himself and blood was pooling out of his mouth I broke the hold.

"I CAN HEAL HIM! I CAN DO IT!" I yelled crawling towards him. I put my hand over the wound and started thinking of a healing spell

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Derek yelled making me look back at him. Derek rolled over to where we were and helped me picked Scott up to his feet but it was then that something hot tore through my shoulder knocking all three of us to the floor.

"SHE'S BEEN HIT! YOU'VE GOT TO GET HER OUT OF HERE!" Derek helped Scott pick me up and I watched him crawl back over to the door.  
He looked at me as Scott tried to pick me up and I knew what he was going to do.

"DEREK DON'T DO IT! DEREK!" I screamed before he opened the front door and growled at the shooters. I tried not to think about what his fate would be once Kate Argent got her hands on him. I tried to focus on Scott and I barreling through the dark woods, bleeding and completely lost. Scott stumbled and we both went tumbling onto the forest floor.

"Come on Scott, don't give up on me now. I can't do this on my own." I begged feeling myself starting to lose consciousness.

"I-I c-can't." Scott cried. I crawled over to him and put my hand over his wound which oozed wolfsbane vapors.

"A-allison." He whispered as I held his head in my lap and let out a pained scream. All I kept thinking of was a spell that Karen told me to use in dire situations if I ever needed extra help. Scott was lying in my arms dying and I was on the verge of passing out. This seemed like that moment.

" _Guardian watcher of the West, I call on thee. The power and protection, I invoke. Watchful eye, let it be seen, let it be seen_." I repeated the phrase over and over again until I finally started to fall back in the wet leaves. A white burst of light, like that of a halo was shining up through the trees before a shadowed figure stepped into it. That was the last thing I saw before blacking out.


	17. The Perfect Scene

**[Scott's POV]**

I opened my eyes feeling a bit uneasy but I shot up when the last thing I remembered was Maggie and I bleeding out in the woods. The pain was lingering as I sat up but my head was trying to unfog from what had happened.

"MAGGIE!" I gasped as I felt a hand grab my arm.

"She's okay, you're okay. Just relax." It was Dr. Deaton.

"Welcome back to the land of the conscious." Dr. Deaton said sliding over to me as my knees buckled.

"Take it easy, Scott." He said as I tried to fight being light headed.

"Maggie? Where's Maggie?" I asked panicked.

"She's safe and at home with her aunt. Don't worry." Deaton assured me but I still felt uneasy not having seen her leave.

"You may not believe me but I healed her shoulder and gave her something extra to protect her. How do you feel?" He asked putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Sore but I'll live." I said simply. I was pretty confused waking up with a bandage on my side and laying on the operating table that was typically used for dogs.

"I guess you have some questions." He said.

"I mean, I thought you were a vet." I said honestly.

"I am a vet and 90% of the time I'm treating mostly cats and dogs." He said as he moved around the room.

"Mostly?" I said raising my eyebrows.

"Yes, mostly. Maggie and I come from similar backgrounds." He smiled.

"So you're a witch?" I asked confused.

"I suppose you could call me that but it's not quite right. Some would say I'm a step up from a typical witch. Maggie was able to summon me from the middle of the woods where I rescued you both. I prefer to be called a guardian of sorts." Deaton explained.

"Well I guess thanks for saving us. I thought we were goners for sure." I said honestly making him laugh.

"You could have been if Maggie hadn't sent out a distress signal. I'm not sure she even knows how powerful she is." Deaton said just as the chimes on the front door went off.

He started to walk past me when I caught the scent and I gripped his arm. It was Peter. He patted my arm as he went out to meet him.

"I'm sorry but we're closed." Deaton said as he stood right outside the door.

"Hi there, I'm here to pick up." Peter said as I backed into the corner of the operating room. I wasn't sure if I was trying to hide or prepare myself to pounce.

"I'm not sure I remember you dropping off." Deaton said sounding like he knew Peter was suspicious.

"This one wandered in on its own." Peter's tone dipped.

"Even if it did, I'm afraid I can't help you. We're closed." Deaton repeated.

"Oh I think you can make an exception this one time, don't you?" Peter was trying to charm Deaton and I prayed he wouldn't fall for it or get himself hurt.

"I'm sorry that's not going to be possible. Maybe you could come back during regular hours." Peter was about to lose his patience.

"You have something that belongs to me. I'm here to collect it." Peter's tone changed and I felt my heart rate increase.

"Like I said, we're closed." Deaton's tone changed to fit Peter's and I heard his footsteps inch closer but then he stopped. It sounded like nails scratched the counter top.

"Mountain ash...that's an old one." Peter sounded irritated but it wasn't until the sound of breaking furniture did I realize he wasn't just irritated he was pissed. I got up and moved closer thinking maybe he might hurt Deaton but something stopped me.

"Let me be as clear as possible, we…are…closed." Deaton said slowly unaffected by the blow. I took a few steps back into the corner when I heard Peter moving towards the door.

"You know there are others who can help me get what I want, Scott. More innocent and far more vulnerable." Peter spoke to me from the other room and I felt my chest seize up thinking of Allison. As soon as the chimes on the door rang again I started looking for my clothes. Deaton walked back in and tried to help me.

"Listen Scott, you can't go out there blindly trying to protect people. Especially those who already have protection." Deaton explained.

"Allison isn't protected. I can ask Stiles to look after Maggie." I pulled my shirt over my head and he grabbed my arm once more stopping me.

"Allison is more protected than you realize. Her family, what they do...it's not safe for you to be so close to her. I understand you have deep feelings for her but in the end it all comes down to where she settles with her family. To them, you are a threat." Deaton said making me shake my head.

"But they don't know I'm-" He cut me off.

"It won't take them long to figure it out. Derek has gone missing which means they're probably going to press him for information." I was so confused by what he was saying as I pulled on my socks and shoes.

"So wait, you think the Argent's kidnapped Derek? What for?" I asked.

"They want to know who the beta is and where the alpha is hiding. Now we both know the answers to that question but the only one who doesn't is the girl who I just sent home a few hours ago. I'm going to assume that you've known Peter Hale was Maggie's father before now and say that it is very important to keep her away from him. His plans for her are diabolical without question. However if the Argent's find out that Peter is Maggie's father it could make her there number one target." Deaton looked serious.

"Why would that make her a target? Peter wants me to help him kill her so I don't see how the Argent's could really do any worse than that." He shook his head knowing I wasn't getting something.

"It's a power thing Scott. Maggie is far beyond the bounds of strength she thinks she possesses but if pushed she could take her magic in a darker direction. She's a hybrid of two very powerful species. The magic that Maggie uses is miniscule in comparison to what she could be using. Peter wants to kill her in order to trigger what she is that way he can take her blood and make himself even more powerful. But if Peter triggers this, there will be things far more threatening than hunters that will search Maggie out. What she is means war for a lot of different beings. A war that we are not prepared for. We must be able to support and help her anyway we can so she doesn't cross that line. Do you understand me?" Deaton asked looking me in the eyes. I thought for a moment and feared something happening to Maggie. That time in the car we talked about her vision made my chest tighten up and Deaton put a hand on my shoulder.

"I promise, I will do whatever I can to help. Just be careful." Deaton tried to comfort my anxiety but as he dropped me off at my house the tension kept mounting. Even more after I realized I had lost my phone. I showered, changed my clothes and by then Stiles was over helping me search for it.

"Call it again." I said as I looked through my bookshelves.

"It's not here. It's not a big deal, just get a new one." He said as I dove onto my stomach to look under my bed.

"I can't afford a new one and I can't do this alone. I have to find Derek." I got off the floor and started towards the closet.

"Well A, you're not alone. You've got me. And B didn't you say Derek walked into gunfire? That sounds like he's pretty dead to me." Stiles said.

"That was just a plan to get to the alpha. They're not going to kill him." I explained tossing things from my closet.

"Alright so then just let them do what they're planning, you know? They use Derek to get to Peter, problem solved." Stiles made it sound so easy.

"Not if Peter goes after Allison to get to Derek. If he doesn't go after Allison then he'll go after Maggie but if the Argent's find out that Maggie is Peter's daughter than she becomes the target." I rushed out of the closet to see Stiles shaking his head.

"I'm so confused right now. Why would that make Maggie come up on the Argent's watch list? I mean they want the alpha." He asked me and I finally spun around to look at him.

"Do you remember that movie we watched with the hot vampire chick that killed all the werewolves and then started killing the vampires because they were douche bags?" I asked and Stiles squinted at me.

"Underworld?" He asked.

"Yeah that's it. Well do you remember the guy who all the vampires and werewolves wanted because he was like faster and stronger than all of them?" I asked again and Stiles shook his head.

"The hybrid? Yeah I remember because he looked like a frickin' Kraken when he turned. It was some scary stuff but badass. I don't see what this has to-" I cut him off.

"That's pretty much what Maggie is, at least that's how Deaton explained it. He said that Peter wants to kill her to take the power she has or use her as a weapon which means the Argent's will want to kill her for real." I explained and he seemed to get it.

"So the Argent's are like the douchey vampires? That's just great." Stiles ran his hands through his short hair.

"Yeah and I can't protect them both on my own so we need to find Derek first. Please just help me." I said tearing up any part of my room that was visible.

"You probably lost it when you were fighting, do you remember that? When he tried to kill you? After you interrupted him trying to kill Jackson. Are you starting to see a pattern of violent behavior here?" He said raising his voice.

"He wasn't going to kill anyone and I'm not going to let him die." I said firmly.

"Can't you at least think about letting him die...for me?" Stiles whined and I stopped what I was doing to let out a frustrated sigh.

"Can you just...stop for a second? Think about what letting Derek die would do to Maggie? Derek is her cousin, practically one of her only blood relatives left and you just want to let him die? Did you want to explain it to her that we let him die because of his violent behavior?" I asked him and he looked down at his hands.

"Moment's like these where you of all people are actually right kind of freak me out." He said but I didn't listen. I was distracted by the sound of my mom's car pulling up out front.

"Hi...it's me...Melissa McCall...um just giving you a call." She laughed nervously.

"That always sounds weird because of my last name, McCall so yeah...um I was just wondering if maybe you want to reschedule dinner or lunch...it doesn't have to be dinner, lunch is good or maybe you would like to do coffee. We could also go out for drinks um because I think I'll need a few after his profoundly embarrassing phone call so if this doesn't freak you out too much after this call feel free to um...give me a call." I heard the call end but she still sat in the car.

"Is she alright?" Stiles asked me and I just shook my head.

"What's she doing?" He almost sounded scared to ask and that's when I heard the sniffles.

"Crying." I said feeling the weight I had put on my mom coming down on her and breaking her down. Sometimes I forget that dealing with me alone and working a job pretty much all the time left her no time for herself. Of course the first guy that comes along would be someone who would be using her and not even have the balls to call her back, not that I wanted him too because he's a psycho but I could feel her emotions. I sat on the bed and looked down at my feet.

"Scott, you can't protect everyone." Stiles sighed.

"I have to. Just seeing Maggie bleeding last night-" Stiles cut me off.

"Whoa! Hold the phone! What happened to Maggie?" Stiles asked. I didn't tell him about her being at the house last night because I knew it would upset him but I slipped.

"She was at the house last night. Derek must have called her or something, I don't really know-" Stiles jumped up.

"Why was she bleeding Scott? What happened?" He practically growled through his teeth.

"She was shot but Deaton fixed her up and she's alright." Stiles tossed the chair he was sitting it back over to my desk and grabbed his jacket.

"How could you not tell me that? You sit here and tell me everything else except that Maggie was shot? What the hell kind of communication relay is that?!" Stiles yelled as the front door opened.

"I didn't want you to worry. She's fine now." I said calmly but he shook his head.

"You don't get it do you? After..." I knew why Stiles was so worked up. After he saw that vision of Maggie I knew he would be worried sick.

"I know man but I'm not going to let that happen okay? I'd die before I let her die." My words didn't really help Stiles because he shrugged.

"It doesn't matter then does it? I'd be losing either way." Stiles and I made eye contact and I felt extremely guilty. Mom came to the door and looked at us both.

"What a mess! You better clean this up before you plan on going anywhere." She said firmly and Stiles put his jacket on.

"I'll be at Maggie's if you need me." He said before disappearing out the door.

**[Stiles's POV]**

I busted through the front door and up the stairs to see Maggie's room practically empty with a few boxes off in the corner and her sitting on her bed sewing some sort of dress by hand. I hugged her tightly and she gasped.

"I just heard, are you okay? Where did you get hit? Do you need anything?" I asked holding her arms and she winced moving my hand from her shoulder.

"I'm fine Stiles, just calm down okay?" She said like it was no big deal.

"I don't believe you. Let me see...please." I asked nicely and she frowned before shrugging her sweater off to reveal a red and white scar dangerously close to her collarbone. I ran my fingers over it and she looked away.

"Does it hurt?" I asked staring at it.

"Not really. It was a wolfsbane bullet so on occasion there's a lingering burn but Deaton removed the bullet and as much of the residue as he could. I promise it looks a lot worse than it feels." She said and I looked down at her.

"So you know about..." She nodded.

"That my dad is the alpha? Yeah I gathered. Go figure he would kill my whole family and ruin my best friend's life before trying to kill me." She said stepping out of my grasp.

"Sounds like a dick move." I said making Maggie laugh. She sat back down on her bed and I looked around the room.

"I guess you guys are all packed and ready to go." I said rubbing the back of my neck.

"Karen keeps running out to get more boxes and tape. Apparently it isn't safe to conjure simple materials right now. Instead of studying the spell books I'm studying sewing patterns." She held up the needle and thread.

"Well a good seamstress is always handy. You never know when you'll need a poofy dress." I teased earning a glare.

"Wait, what's the dress for?" I asked seeing how much work she was putting into it.

"It's for the winter formal. I'm going." She cleared her throat and looked up at me.

"Since when? I thought you were leaving?" I asked excited that she would be at the dance.

"Since Isaac Lahey asked me and Karen said we could stay an extra night." All excitement left my body and I felt my heart drop into my stomach.

"So Isaac asks you to the dance and the whole recovering from being shot and your dad hunting you down doesn't bother you one bit?" I asked letting my anger get the better of me.

"I told you I was fine and I'm going to be careful. It's really not a big deal." She brushed it off but I shook my head at her.

"It's actually a pretty big deal and I honestly think it's a stupid idea." I paced the room and felt her eyes on me.

"So someone wanting to go to the dance with me is stupid? Well I guess I'm glad to know your opinion but keep in mind I didn't ask for it, nor do I want it." I could see the hurt in her eyes. She was defensive.

"Fine. Go to the dance with Isaac." I crossed my arms over my chest like a child.

"Fine, I will. Have fun with Lydia." My mouth slacked a bit.

"Did you think I didn't know why you ran off the other day? I mean congrats on the date and all but don't rag on me because I've got one. That's not fair and you know it." She pointed at me and I let my head drop.

"Y-you're right. I'm sorry." I said stuffing my hands in my pockets. She was right. I was going with Lydia so why couldn't she go with Isaac? I mean we barely knew the guy and he suddenly is so interested in Maggie is kind of suspect but I guess I was in no real position to say anything.

"Look, I've got to finish this up and Karen will be home soon. I'll see you tomorrow okay?" Maggie said making me look up at her. I shook my head and walked to the door before looking back at her.

"Save me a dance?" I asked and she smiled slightly.

"Of course." I nodded at her before leaving the house. I stuck around watching her in the window from the jeep for about an hour afterwards waiting for Karen to get home but when I got home and saw my suit for the dance dry cleaned and hanging on the door I sat down on my bed and stared into my hands. My dad walked to the door way and stared at me.

"What's eating at you kid?" I looked up and shook my head.

"It's nothing." I rubbed my hands over my face trying to shake it off and he wasn't buying it.

"Do I have a sign on my head that says born yesterday? Really? What's bugging you? You never get home before 10 and it's only 6:30." He looked at his watch.

"Maggie's going to the dance." I said simply.

"Well that's good." He said smiling.

"With Isaac Lahey." I followed watching the smile fade away.

"Lahey? The cemetery guy's kid?" He asked and I nodded.

"Well is he a good kid?" Dad asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't really know him. I mean he seems alright but I don't know. Am I a jerk if I'd rather her not go at all?" I asked already knowing the answer.

"Not really a jerk, more like selfish. Aren't you going with Lydia Martin?" He asked.

"Yeah and I've been pretty hyped about it since she asked me but now..." I trailed off.

"Now another guy is going with Maggie and that other guy isn't you." Dad was good at the whole mind reading thing when he really tried.

"You know I don't think she'd even believe me if I told her Lydia wasn't always my first choice. It all seems like a lifetime ago." I said with a laugh.

"I think Maggie is a very complicated girl but I honestly think if she knew that it would change things." Dad said leaning on the door frame.

"That's what I'm afraid of." I looked up at him and he pursed his lips together.

"No one said young love was easy, son." Dad said patting my shoulder.

"Yeah but I thought being a kid was supposed to be easy?" I asked making my dad frown.

"I'm sorry you didn't get more of a childhood. You know I'm here if you need me though, right?" He asked and I met his gaze. Whatever spell Maggie used on him he didn't remember anything from the other night. I was grateful for that.

"Thanks dad." I said standing up to give him a hug. I knew I had caught him off guard but he patted my back before looking at me funny and walking out the door. My cell beeped and I looked down to see a message from Maggie. There was a music file attached to it.

_**Text from Mags:**  
Didn't like the way we left things. Truce?_

The song was called Strange Attractor by a band called Animal Kingdom.

**Text to Mags:**   
_Truce. See you tomorrow._

I replied back and put my head phones in before lying back on my bed and starting the song. Maggie and I communicated in a lot of ways. Facial expressions, humor, movie quotes but my favorite by far was through music.

I woke up in the morning feeling a whirlwind of emotions. I was excited to be going to the dance with Lydia but nervous that Maggie was going out in public with all these crazy people after her and I was anxious to get to school and see if Scott had any leads on Derek.

By the time I got there Scott looked like he was in panic mode.

"Do I even want to know?" I asked and he ran his hand through his wet hair.

"Coach said I can't go to the dance because I'm failing three classes. I tried to quit the team but he said I can't so now Allison and Maggie will be out in the open for Peter to destroy and I'm on the verge of freaking out." I slapped Scott across the face and he stopped freaking.

"Take a breath and focus." I pointed at him and he took a deep breath.

"Coach said I'm banned from the dance." He breathed.

"Okay well I'll be there-" He cut me off.

"But you've got to keep an eye on Maggie while being on a date with Lydia. I was kind of counting on being there to make sure Allison was okay." Scott explained. Jackson came walking out of the shower area to get dressed.

"Jackson! I can get Jackson to take her and have him watch her back." Scott exclaimed making me narrow my eyes at him.

"Jackson is your answer? Really? The guy is literally a planet all his own. He won't go out on a limb to help Allison out even if they were B.F.F's." I pointed out.

"How many options do we have Stiles?" He said with pain written on his face.

"Hey Jackson we've got a favor to ask." I said not even getting him to acknowledge us.

"I need you to take Allison to the dance." Scott grumbled. Jackson looked like he still wasn't going to give us the time of day so I shut his locker in his face making him turn around.

"You want me to take her to the formal?" Jackson asked confused.

"I don't want you to, I need you to." Scott said as Jackson looked us over.

"Screw you, you know what? Screw you too." He pointed at me and I was offended.

"In fact, screw each other." Jackson wanted to be cute.

"Hey you know he saved your life right?" I reminded him.

"He left me for dead." Jackson growled.

"I got shot for you." Scott pointed out.

"Oh yeah? Show me the bullet wound." Jackson said and I started getting pissed.

"It already healed." Scott whispered.

"Convenient." Jackson said.

"Well Maggie's left a scar. She also got shot trying to save your worthless ass so how about a little gratitude." I raised my voice slightly.

"Well last I heard she was already going to the dance with Lahey. I guess I could repay her in other ways." Jackson tested me and I tried to hold in my frustrated sigh but it didn't work.

"Just do it for Allison okay? She's in serious danger, I'm talking around the clock danger. She needs someone to keep an eye on her at the dance." Scott explained but her rolled his eyes.

"Have her dad do it. He's actually equipped to handle this." Jackson said making Scott growl.

"How am I supposed to do that and keep him from finding out about me?" Scott said

"Plus we can't have the Argent's sniffing around Maggie either." Scott hit my chest and I realized I said too much.

"Whatever it's not my problem." Jackson tried to walk past us but Scott stopped him.

"You're her friend too. All that time you spent with her to get to me, you can't tell me you didn't get to know her and like her. It's Allison. It's impossible not to like her. You can't tell me you don't care if she gets hurt." Scott said and it only took Jackson a minute to bounce back with a selfish retort.

"What if I get hurt?" Jackson asks making me roll my eyes.

"Then it's worth it." Scott said firmly. It was the truth. In my opinion, one Jackson is worth 100 Allison's, hands down.

"Not to me." Jackson finally pushed past the both of us.

"Well I won't tell you I told you so because it's not strong enough. How about I'm always right and you should listen to whatever I have to say and never disagree ever, for the sake of your wolvelihood?" I said with a sigh but Scott stared after Jackson.

"I'm not done yet." He went after Jackson and the next thing I knew I heard someone snarl and hit the door hard.

"Okay okay! I'll do it." I ran out behind the lockers and saw Scott holding Jackson against the door before he scrambled out of it. Scott looked back at me and I laughed.

"When in doubt, wolf it out. I like it." I patted him on the shoulder and followed him out of the locker room to see if Jackson would actually hold up his end of the bargain. He nervously approached Allison covered in sweat and looking like he might have peed a little but she just giggled and asked if he was okay. I could tell Scott was still worried so I patted his shoulder again.

"Don't worry man, I'll still be there." I said confidently.

"Oh I'm still going." Scott spoke up as we started down the hallway.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Do you even have a date?" I asked him.

"Not yet. I was going to ask Maggie but then that got pretty sidetracked thanks to Isaac Lahey." Scott sighed.

"How about a suit?" I asked again.

"Not yet." He said once more.

"A ticket to the formal? A ride there?" I went down the list and he finally looked over at me as we approached Maggie emptying her locker.

"No and no." He said leaning on the other side of her locker. She smiled at the both of us and continued cleaning.

"So you're going to ride your bike to a dance that you're not even allowed to go to without a date, a suit or a way in with werewolves and werewolf hunters all out to kick your little werewolf ass?" I said making Maggie look up.

"Yeah it would appear that way. Are you going to help me?" Scott asked with a laugh.

"Wait what's going on now?" Maggie put her hands up and asked.

"Scott's going to break into the dance. You were our fail safe date but since you went and got all chummy with Lahey that kind of ruined things." Scott's eyes went wide but I didn't really think I said anything rude.

"Fail safe date? Really? I'm glad to know a date with me is so valued between you two." She glared between Scott and I.

"Well last time I checked you were on our team but you're letting some guy get you all unfocused." I said adjusting my backpack.

"Are you really still hung up on this? I mean I thought we worked it out last night? I'm going with Isaac and you're going with Lydia." She said running her hand through her hair.

"I'm not hung up on anything. I'm just pointing out that we have a lot going on right now and you are stopping to go on a date. How are we supposed to keep Allison safe and the Argent's off Scott's trail? Not to mention save Derek's ass?" I asked making her jaw drop.

"Don't you use Derek against me! I want to find him just as much as you do. Why are you being so childish about this?" She asked me and I felt my jaw slack.

"Childish!? I'm not being childish! You're being childish!" I argued.

"You two sound like an old married couple." Scott laughed.

"Shut up!" We both said in unison.

"Look, Isaac bought our tickets so I will get Scott's ticket in my name and I can let you borrow my car. Isaac can ask his dad for his or something. Is that better?" She asked putting her hands out and Scott shook his head.

"Thanks Mags. I'll see you tonight." Scott touched her arm before she walked past the both of us down the hallway.

"You know she won't be here for much longer. Arguing with her isn't really a good way to say goodbye." Scott pulled me out of watching her walk down the hallway.

"I'm not ready Scott." I said without looking at him.

"Of course you aren't. I'm not-" I cut Scott off and looked at him.

"You don't get it. I'm not ready to tell her yet and she's leaving. I just…let's just focus on one thing at a time. I've got to get myself ready too." I shut Maggie's now empty locker and started down the hallway with a heavy heart.

**[Derek's POV]**

I heard the phone vibrate on the table again and rolled my eyes. How long would it take Scott to figure out that I stole his phone? Was he truly that slow to piece things together? Did he even care that I had his phone? That I was being tortured by this crazy bitch, which just so happened to be the aunt of the girl he claimed he was so in love with. All these questions raced through my head.

I knew Maggie had to be alright because something passed through the trees as Kate and her goons were carrying me away that made me believe Maggie would be okay. I knew we had a connection but I shouldn't have gotten close to her. Peter wanted to destroy Maggie and I had no idea why but I knew I wasn't strong enough to take him on alone. All I knew was that I had been locked in this basement being beaten and electrocuted for almost 36 hours now and the thing I hated the most was listening to Kate talk.

"Unfortunately Derek, if you aren't going to talk then I'm just going to have to kill you so say hi to your sister for me." I knew that she was bluffing but I kind of wished she wasn't. I couldn't take much more of sitting here doing nothing when Peter was out there looking for Maggie.

"You did tell her about me didn't you?" Kate asked but my silence made her turn around.

"The truth about the fire?" She let out a gasp of surprised.

"Did you tell anybody?" I tried not to meet her eye contact but I knew I was giving off hints.

"Oh sweetie that's a lot of guilt to keep buried. No wonder you and that little witch got so comfortable with each other. You've got to live with the guilt of getting your whole family killed and she has to live with being the reason they are being killed. It's really kind of poetic. At least she didn't get tricked by a pretty face though. I mean it's really not your fault. A handsome young werewolf mistakenly falls for a super hot girl who comes from a family that kills werewolves. Is that ironic? Isn't it ironic that you are inadvertently helping me take down the pack...again. Or just a little bit of history repeating." She chuckled to herself. She walked over to the power box and stopped.

"History repeating." She whispered to herself and I felt my heartbeat pick up.

"It's not Jackson is it? He's got a little scratch on the back of his neck but he's not in love with Allison...not like Scott." I looked up at her and she shook her head.

"I should have known but if Scott's the beta then why is Maggie so important to you?" Kate walked up and ran her fingernail down my stomach.

"I know she's too young for you to have a hard on for and while I'm sure misery loves company..." Kate trailed off.

"Misery loves company. That's it. Her whole family gets slaughtered, your whole family gets fried but what connects you is family. Peter screwed around with her mother back in the day so that would make Maggie...that's it!" She gritted her teeth.

"Maggie is Peter's daughter. That makes her a hybrid. Oh wow this is so much more than I thought. Here I thought you finally found a silly little friend and she's actually one of your last living, breathing relatives. Well for now anyway." Kate walked back over to me and stared hard.

"You're insane." I said trying to throw her off but she jumped like she was excited.

"You just gave it away! Do you even understand that? Again you managed to get your precious family killed because you have a such a weakness for them. You wear that weakness all over that sour face of yours." She laughed and I knew the jig was up.

"Don't...touch...her" I warned through gritted teeth.

"Oh sweetie you have no idea. When I'm done with her she'll be begging for death. I'll make sure to bleed her just dry enough to be able to feel the flesh being burned from her body before she dies." She glared and I couldn't control my wolf as it snapped out at her trying to break free.

"LEAVE HER ALONE YOU EVIL BITCH!" I growled as she backed away from me and headed towards the door. I started to fight against the chains again knowing that I had to save her from the Argent's.

**[Maggie's POV]**

I stood in front of the mirror in my room and smoothed out the dress. My final product came out exactly the way I envisioned it. I pinned my hair back and searched through my boxed up jewelry for the right accessories. Isaac was going to pick me up and take me to dinner first which made me extra nervous. Technically it would be my first real date and I smiled just thinking about how anxious he was when making plans with me today at school. I rubbed my cheek where he left a light kiss and practically ran away as my phone rang. I can't deny a jolt of excitement in my chest as I saw it was Isaac.

"Hey I was just thinking about you." I said with a smile but I could hear him breathing hard.

"Hey...I uh...I have some bad news." He sounded like he'd been running and crying.

"Isaac, are you okay? You sound-" He cut me off.

"I can't go to the dance. Something's come up...at home...I'm really sorry." He sucked in a breath and I sat down on my bed.

"I can blow it off and come hang out if you want?" I offered.

"NO! No it's fine. I'm fine." He yelled before stuttering off sounding like he was wincing.

"Isaac, if you're in trouble I can help you. I've known Sheriff Stilinski my whole life. I can tell him-" Isaac cut me off again.

"Please don't do that. I'm so sorry I have to bail on the dance. I really wanted this date to be a night for you to remember but..." Isaac huffed into the phone.

"Isaac? Are you sure you're alright?" I asked again concerned.

"Can you do me a favor?" He asked in almost a whisper.

"Of course, anything." I said feeling the frown on my face.

"Go to the dance tonight. Have fun, smile. I can't stand knowing that I ruined your last night here. I'm serious. Go out and have a great time." I could hear the disappointment in Isaac's voice and I stood up and took a picture of myself in the mirror smiling before sending it to him.

"There, at least one smile." I said hearing him chuckle.

"You sure know how to make a guy feel like a jerk." He laughed.

"Well I guess we'll just have to rain check our date for now." I said with a small smile.

"Maybe if you come back I can still take you out. I mean, I have no doubts that I'll still be interested in taking you out." He said making me laugh.

"Well then I guess now I have to come back. Goodbye Isaac." I said softly.

"Goodbye Maggie." He breathed before the line went dead. I looked down at my phone and let out a sigh.

"Wow, for someone who looks so pretty you sure know how to frown." I looked up to see Karen standing in the doorway.

"Isaac had to cancel so I'm literally all dressed up with no place to go." I tossed my cellphone down on my bed and she walked over to sit next to me.

"You could still go to the dance. I'm sure the boys would love to see you." She pushed my hair over my shoulder.

"Well Scott does need a date but I don't know. I could just forget it and we could get out of here tonight if you want. I'm packed and ready to go." I looked down at my hands and she laughed.

"You know when your mother was younger she would always look at her hands when she was lying." Karen said making me smile.

"I know you'll never be ready to leave here again, leave the boys and your new friends." Karen stroked my hair and I looked over at her.

"As long as it keeps us safe then I'm ready. You're the only family I have left and I will do whatever it takes to make sure we're all safe." I said what I had been telling myself for the past two weeks.

"You know that's not true. You've got plenty of family. Scott and Stiles are your family. Sheriff Stilinski and Melissa McCall, sweetie you've got family here. That's why it's hard to leave." Karen said firmly.

"I just...I don't want to lose you." I looked at her and her face softened.

"Death could never separate us sweetie. You should know that. All you have to do is close your eyes and we'd be there." Karen ran her hand through my hair again.

"You don't plan on kicking off anytime soon do you?" I joked and she stroked my face fighting tears.

"When it's my time to go, I'll go. I'm not scared and neither should you. The only upside to losing the people we love makes dying easier. At least we get to be with them again." She said not making eye contact with me.

"That's kind of morbid, Karen. Seriously, is everything okay?" I asked growing concerned with Karen's demeanor.

"I just want you to know how special you are. You've come so far with your magic and you've managed to learn so much more than I ever thought you'd be able to handle. You are smart, capable and strong. You've grown into such a beautiful young woman, Maggie. Your mother would be so proud. I'm proud." I watched a tear slide down her face and I felt panicked.

"Karen, talk to me. What's going on?" I asked turning towards her fully but she shook her head wiping the tears away.

"I just don't want you to be afraid. I want you to face things head on with your chin high. You are so special and so full of life, don't ever let anyone try and take that away. You are a Stevens no matter what happens." Karen said proudly before reaching back and picking up my purse.

"Now stand up before you wrinkle your dress and get over to Scott's. Try and have a good time tonight. Make it last a lifetime." She smiled at me fixing my dress.

"Karen, I-" She put her hands on either side of my face and smiled.

"I love you very much sweetheart." She said making me upset.

"Please tell me what's wrong." I begged.

"Long day is all. Just go have a good time for the both of us." She lied but I knew I couldn't pry anymore. I hugged her tightly and she chuckled before hugging me back.

"Get out of here pretty girl." She said running a hand through her own hair. I grabbed my purse and started to walk slowly out of my room.

The walk down the steps and to the car felt so final, so quietly life changing. I started the car up and looked back up to see Karen waving from the window. I tried to shake the feeling that something was wrong but I knew deep down that Karen wasn't telling me something. I parked in front of Scott's house and got odd looks from the neighbors as I straightened my dress out. I had a key so I figured I'd use it but I heard Scott freaking out upstairs.

"So is she coming here or what because you know I need the car tonight." Melissa's voice was coming from Scott's room.

"No I'm going stag." Scott sounded bummed.

"You're going alone?" His mom sounded shocked.

"Stag, there's a difference." I had to smile to myself.

"I guess I'm just a little surprised that you don't have anyone else to ask besides Allison." She said dumbfounded.

"There are no other girls besides Allison." He said and I cleared my throat as I entered the doorway. Scott stood speechless in his boxers and dress shirt while Melissa seemed to be stitching his pants.

"If I do recall you asked me as well." I said with a smile.

"Maggie, sweetie you look...wow." Melissa said standing up from the bed.

"Thank you." I said politely looking over at Scott who still had wide eyes. Melissa hit him in the ribs and he snapped out of his daze.

"Sorry you just look...so..." He tried to find words and I laughed.

"Clean?" I offered.

"I was thinking beautiful." He said making me smile.

"Well if your heart isn't already set on going stag I could use a date for tonight." I said shifting my weight on my heels.

"What happened to Isaac?" Scott asked wrinkling his eyebrows.

"He had to cancel. Karen insists that I go though so-" Melissa cut me off.

"You should. Isaac is going to miss out on spending the evening with the most gorgeous girl in Beacon Hills." She smiled at me.

"So how about it? Be my date for my last night of shenanigans?" I asked making Scott laugh.

"I'd love to." He said shaking his head.

"Just one thing though." I said walking further into the room.

"Sure, what's up?" He asked curiously.

"You might want to put on some pants. I mean I'm sure the no pants would get Allison's attention but I'm pretty sure there's a law against it, just saying." I teased reminding him that he had no pants on.

**[Scott's POV]**

I continued to pace the floor of my room while Mom sewed up my pants and Maggie worked on my jacket but the longer I waited the more anxious I became.

"So do you really think that Allison's the one?" Mom asked.

"Can you please just keep sewing." I groaned making Maggie laugh.

"She's sewing your pants, give her the goods man." Maggie teased.

"You have time for just the one question so come here." Mom patted the bed and I plopped down next to her.

"Do you really feel that way about Allison?" She asked me again.

"I can't help it. Every time I look at her I get this hollow feeling in my chest and it's like someone literally took a shovel and dug a hole in me. It's the worst feeling I've ever had in my life and I had no idea someone could actually feel this bad." I explained.

"I know, everyone knows eventually but it does go away." Mom said as she stitched.

"I don't want it to." I said honestly making both her and Maggie look up.

"That's how you know it's real." Maggie sighed.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"That feeling you get that feels like the lowest of the low. You know it's real when you'd rather feel the pain of being in love with someone than not ever feeling that love at all. You love Allison. You're in love with her." Maggie explained.

"Yeah I do." I confirmed.

"Well have you told her how you feel?" Mom asked me.

"She knows." I said earning a swift hit to the forehead from my mom that made Maggie snort.

"Come on, she knows? She knows! Listen dumbass, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret that most guys don't even have a clue about. Alright? Are you ready?" She asked.

"Women...love...words." She said confusing me.

"Huh?" I raised an eyebrow as Maggie handed me my jacket.

"Tell her how you feel. Just say it, say it again, say it better, learn how to say it differently, sing it." I laughed this time as mom continued sewing.

"Get creative." Maggie chimed in.

"Exactly! Write it in a letter, put it in a poem attached to flowers, carve it in a tree or in some cement on the sidewalk, tattoo on your arm-" I cut her off.

"Really?" I questioned earning a narrowed look.

"No not really. Just tell her the truth. Tell her anything and everything you want." Mom said finishing up her stitch.

"Everything?" I questioned glancing over at Maggie who gave a knowing nod.

"But when you do, you'll need these." Mom handed me the pants back and I took them to put them on quickly. After I finally got dressed and let mom take pictures of the both of us, Maggie gave me the keys to her car and let me drive us to the school. She was quiet the whole way so when I finally parked I just looked over at her.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked reaching over to touch her hands but when I gripped them I was sucked into a memory.

_I started to see the same flashes I saw the night Peter and Derek caught me in the locker room and tried to convince me to kill Maggie. I saw Maggie as a baby with Peter and her mom then him leaving and Maggie's mom making a pact with her sisters to keep him away from Maggie. I saw Peter watching Maggie from a far and then raging alone before seeing the Hale house up in flames. I felt his pain as he sat under a shower head with his burned flesh and let his screams out with the added pain. I saw what he did to the guys who set the house on fire and felt the heat from the flames in the basement as he watched his remaining family burn alive. I could smell the burning flesh and hear the screams. I watched him kill Laura and it flashed to Maggie once more. All the times he's watched her with us. Her smiling and her laughing at something Stiles said or jumping on my back as I carried her around one day. He would be sitting on the roof of the neighbor's house to watch her study through her window and fall asleep clutching a text book._

_"How could you want to kill your own daughter?" "So that would make her a Hale?" Conversations Stiles and I had before were like the soundtrack to the memories and finally I was able to pull away from Maggie who sat breathless in the passenger seat._

"Maggie..." I started to say but she shook her head.

"How long have you known?" She asked with wide eyes.

"Not too long." I said unsure if she was upset with me or not.

"Peter Hale is my father...Derek is my cousin...wow I did not see that coming." She touched her forehead and took a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" I asked her and she finally looked over at me.

"I guess. At least now I know who to look for when trying not to get the axe." She joked.

"I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." I gripped her hand this time and she smiled.

"I'm not afraid Scott. For the first time in a really long time I'm actually not afraid of what's to come. As long as you and Stiles are safe I'm okay." She said making me worry about her even more.

"That's not how it works and you know that. I'm sure Stiles would agree with me." I said seeing her visibly cringe at the mention of Stiles.

"Are you going to be okay with going in here? Seeing him with Lydia...on a date...probably spazzing out." She chuckled shaking her head.

"I think maybe it's time I give up on that dream. Stiles and I will never be more than best friends and that's enough for me." She looked at me and I could see the sadness in her eyes.

"I thought things were starting to edge in a different direction where you would be more like kissing best friends." I joked seeing her finally smile. She leaned over and kissed my cheek for a few moments before pulling back and looking at me.

"No matter how many moments Stiles and I have together like that it will never outweigh the fact that his heart belongs to Lydia. I'd never ask him to choose between us and I know I deserve more than being a second thought. I'm 16. Only 1 in 3 first loves actually make it and from where I'm sitting it's looking like it'll be you and Allison." I smiled at her and reached over to hug her. She held onto me tightly and I could feel the content heartbeat from her chest into mine.

"No matter where you are, you know I'll always be here for you right? I love you Mags." I said into her hair.

"I love you too Scotty." She breathed before we got out of the car. We saw a ladder near the back of the school.

"When you get on the roof there will be a roof access hatch that leads down into the janitor's closet. Just hop down and you'll be able to come in where the bleachers are." She said fixing my jacket.

"Are you just going to go in the front?" I asked and bit her lip.

"I will...eventually. I'm a little nervous." She admitted and he smiled.

"You should be. You'll be the prettiest girl in there and all the guys are going to want to ask you out but you won't be able to accept. You'll be breaking a lot of hearts tonight." I teased her.

"Get up the ladder, McCall. Try not to get caught." She hurried me up the ladder and I watched her gather her courage to walk towards the front entrance. As I got closer to the door I started picking up on familiar scents but the one that got my attention most was Peter Hale's. He was here and my heart couldn't help but speed up.

**[Stiles's POV]**

I sat at the table watching everyone else dance and have a good time while Lydia tried to ignore my presence. I had tried everything to get her up on the dance floor. I only earned one smile when I told her I knew how smart she really was and how I knew she'd win some sort of noble prize one day but that still didn't get her on her feet. I saw Scott sneak in and creep on Allison as she stood with an irritated Jackson by the punch bowl.

"Are you sure you don't want to dance? I'm sure it would bug Jackson." I said making her laugh.

"I seriously doubt that." She rolled her eyes and I glanced up at the entrance for the 6th time that night. I hadn't seen Maggie or Isaac since I got here and that made me worry. What could be taking them so long? Were they going to skip the dance and just go on a date? Maybe Isaac took Maggie someplace they could be alone. Maybe Peter found her, or the Argent's. All these thoughts raced through my head as I glanced to the entry way again and there she was like a dream. The dress she had on was short but puffed out on the bottom. It had everything from lace to sequence on it. Her legs were bare and moved gracefully in her black heels as she looked out at the set up.

 _"_ Wow…she looks…beautiful." I breathed staring at her.

"Excuse me?" I caught Lydia's attention and she turned to see who I was talking about.

"It's just…it's her last night here. She wanted to spend one more night with all the people she made friends with while she was here." I explained trying not to be a jerk for paying attention to another girl.

"How about picking your jaw up, rude." Lydia was clearly pissed now but Maggie finally looked over at me and smiled. I watched her walk over towards Danny and his date and thought maybe Lydia would want to talk to Danny. At least it would give me an opportunity to talk to Maggie.

"Well how about we get up and go talk to her. She's talking to Danny, you like Danny." I proposed but she rolled her eyes.

"Just because I don't hate her anymore doesn't make us friends." She said resting her head on her palm but her words lit a fire inside of me.

"Well maybe you should give her a chance. I mean come on, Lydia. I've had a crush on you forever and as much as she's hated you, she's understands why. She knows how smart and beautiful you are just like I do." I had stood up and Lydia looked at me surprised.

"She also insisted that you had a good heart underneath all that self-centered crap you throw at people. So please, get up and just try to have fun…with me." I begged and after a few minutes and another glance at Maggie she stood up.

"Fine but only because I won't have you running back to her saying I'm a horrible date." She smiled at me before taking my hand and leading me to the dance floor. The song was a fast song so I tried not to get too crazy with my dance moves but that didn't stop Lydia from looking at me like I might be having a seizure.

Occasionally I glance over her shoulder and saw Maggie laughing and dancing with Danny and a few others from the team. I tried not to let it bother me but I felt like I was missing out on spending time with her.

"So you say you've had this crush on me since forever but you keep staring at her." Lydia's words made me snap out of it as I dance in front of her.

"Well-I-uh sorry." I apologized but she shook her head.

"So do you have a crush on me or her?" She demanded still dancing.

"Um I've sort of like to do a 50/50 thing, you know? I mean she's my best friend so that would be kind of weird-" She cut me off.

"Why would that be weird? Do you think dating your best friend would be weird? You already know you like to spend time with her and you like her as a person or else you wouldn't be best friends. You think making out and seeing each other naked would change that?" She said in disbelief but I blushed.

"I-it's not like that." I stuttered but she laughed.

"Well she clearly isn't like a sister to you so the thought of seeing her naked shouldn't gross anyone but me out." Lydia said as I rubbed at the back of my neck.

"Why do you suddenly care about my relationship with Maggie?" I asked confused and she huffed.

"She said something to me in the hallway when Jackson...when I ended things with Jackson. I thought she hated me. I mean she had good reason I suppose but she was actually kind of...understanding and sympathetic. She said that I'd really have to be in love with Jackson to ignore someone who would literally walk on fire for me like you would. Then she actually apologized." Lydia explained and I felt a blush on my cheeks again as the song turned slow. She put her arms around my neck and I nervously gripped her hips. I took in Lydia's scent and licked my lips.

"Maggie's always been one of those people who despite her feelings, she'd never wish pain on anyone. She's been in pain her whole life. Never getting to know her dad, losing her mom and aunts in such a gruesome manner and now she has to leave behind the rest of the people she knows and truly cares about. She knows pain more than anyone should ever have to know pain at 16. So yeah, does she buck against you? Of course. But does she wish harm on you? Never." I explained and Lydia rested her head on my shoulder before stroking my head.

"Are you sure you aren't just in love with her?" Lydia chuckled but I didn't answer. I didn't answer because I wasn't sure I even knew the answer anymore.

**[Maggie's POV]**

It didn't take long for me to find Danny and feel less nervous about being at this dance but luckily for me, his boyfriend didn't mind sharing him on the dance floor. I tried to keep my back to Stiles so I didn't have to watch him dancing with Lydia but Danny could tell I was doing that on purpose. He made sure to swing me around ever so often to see Stiles crazy dancing which always made me laugh.

"It's too bad you're leaving so soon. There is this club I know you'd love." Danny said.

"Is it a gay club?" I joked.

"Yeah it is but hetero-heroines such as yourself are always embraced." Danny twirled me around and I smiled.

"Drag queens would fawn over you. You've got great hair." His boyfriend added. When the song turned slow, I glanced over at Stiles and Lydia and felt my stomach ache.

"Hey, can you get us some drinks? I'm parched." Danny said to his boyfriend and he gave a nod before Danny pulled me to his chest to slow dance.

"You do realize she's only here with Stiles because it's her way of making it up to Allison that she made out with Scott, right?" Danny said.

"It's whatever. As long as they're having a good time." I said shaking my head.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that since he keeps looking over here at you. I guess he is regretting the set up a bit now that he sees you looking as stunning as you do this evening." Danny smiled.

"Thanks for everything. Tonight and just for being you. I don't know what I would have done without someone as kind as you have been to me." I said honestly.

"You're a great person Maggie. You deserve kindness so don't seem so surprised." He said as we were bumrushed by Scott.

"What the-" Danny looked caught off guard.

"MCCALL!" I looked up and saw the coach in hot pursuit.

"DANNY! Dance with me!" Scott said out of breath.

"What? No." Danny said confused.

"Please! Right now, right now." I moved out of the way as he pulled Danny to him.

"MCCALL! You're not supposed to-" The music cut off and I covered my mouth as all eyes were on Danny and Scott.

"What the hell are you doing?" Coach asked looking between the two of them.

"Yes Coach?" Scott pulled Danny closer and I snorted.

"Whoa whoa, hold on!" Coach laughed nervously as people stared at him gaping at Danny and Scott, silently judging him.

"I was just saying he's not supposed...I mean he shouldn't...you guys don't think...I was just..." I stepped in.

"Coach, I know you are a strong advocate for gay rights especially for our good friend Danny here. It would mean a lot to me if you let Scott stay. Consider it my last request before taking off." I smiled and he looked around.

"Dance! Everyone dance! It's a party." He said as the music started back up.

"Thank you." Coach whispered to me before pointing at Scott.

"Thanks dude I owe you one." Scott said before taking my hand. Danny's boyfriend looked at him oddly as Scott dragged me away. He put his hands on my hips and I laughed.

"You know, when your mom said to tell Allison about how you feel I don't think this was part of what she meant." I teased as we danced.

"Peter is here, or was here. I can't find him anywhere. I just wanted you to know that." I felt my heart speed up.

"Well I doubt he'll pull anything in a room full of people." I said trying to calm Scott's fears. He glanced over my shoulder and sighed.

"She looks beautiful tonight." I said catching his attention.

"She looks beautiful every night. I just don't know what to say to her." Scott shook his head.

"Think of this night, this moment as the last night you'll ever get to spend with her. Tell her what you'd want her to know in these final moments. Be honest and true to your heart. Let the words come out as your heart feels them." I explained making Scott look over my shoulder.

"Maybe you'll get the chance to do the same." He whispered before I caught sight of Allison. I stopped dancing with Scott and pushed him towards her.

"You can thank me later. Have fun." I smiled as he stumbled towards her. I watched him ask her to dance and pulled her onto the floor before turning around and running directly into Stiles.

"Hey, sorry about that." I apologized but he shook it off.

"It's okay, I've been bumping into people all night with my dancing anyway. It was bound to catch up to me." He joked.

"So where's Lydia?" I asked tucking my hair behind my ear.

"She went to look for Jackson. He got kind of wasted and she was worried about him. I guess when you love someone you're just drawn to them." Stiles looked at me and I tried not to stare too much in return.

"Yeah I guess so." I looked away towards Scott and Allison and things seemed to be working out.

"So where's Isaac? I don't think I've seen him yet?" Stiles looked around and I bit my lip.

"He had to cancel. Something came up so I came with Scott but it would appear your theory about being drawn to each other is correct." I pointed at them and he laughed.

"It's about time. I thought for sure I'd still be nursing his broken heart after you left." Stiles said making me laugh.

"Well that's what best friends are for." I pointed out.

"Yeah but I would need him to listen to me sulk about you leaving and something tells me he just wouldn't be any good at that." Stiles made me smile.

"Sorry that Isaac couldn't make it. He's really missing out." He said seeming genuine.

"Sorry Lydia is too blind to see how great you are. She's really missing out." I added but he looked over at me.

"Well at least you see me." We stared at each other for another moment before I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks.

"Just out of curiosity, would you like to dance with me?" Stiles extended his hand and I took it with a smile.

"I'd love to." He led me onto the dance floor and I put my arms around his neck, letting him lock his hands around my waist. We swayed in silence for a moment as M83's Too Late played over the speakers. I tried to relax into Stiles but something was holding me back.

"I didn't tell you this yet but you look beautiful." He said.

"Thanks." I smiled without looking at him.

"No seriously. When you walked in you literally took my breath away." Stiles said making me laugh.

"You are really laying it on thick, Stilinski." I teased.

"I'm not laying anything on. I just wanted you to know." I stared up at him and let out a breath.

"What's on your mind?" Stiles whispered.

"I'm not ready to let go of you yet." I whispered back resting my forehead against his.

"Good because I'm not ready to let go of you yet." He said back.

"You know I've been telling Scott that he needs to just tell Allison how he feels because lately it seems like nothing good ever lasts long but here I am holding back with you." I said before I could really think it through.

"You don't have to hold back with me." Stiles pulled his head back and looked at me.

"I hold back because I honestly don't want to ruin our friendship and the last thing I want to do is complicate things." I said honestly.

"Would it complicate things if I told you that before I started chasing Lydia I was pathetically gone on you?" Stiles said making me chuckle softly.

"Don't say that to me." I said shaking my head but he pulled away.

"Why not? It's the truth." Stiles said with a stern face.

"Whether it is or not it doesn't change that in a few hours I'll be gone and you'll be here." I said sadly making Stiles bite his lip. He pulled me closer to his chest to hug me and the moment I rested my head on his shoulder I got a flash of Peter Hale stalking through the crowd.

"Maggie? What is it? Did you have a flash?" Stiles asked concerned as the song changed. I got another flash of Peter watching Lydia walk out of the school.

"Maggie talk to me." Stiles raised his voice slightly as I gripped my forehead. I got a surge in my chest and I could actually hear Peter stalking around outside.

"Lydia...where's Lydia?" I asked making Stiles look around.

"I don't know. I don't see her." I tried to walk away towards the doors but Stiles put his arm around my shoulders and helped me out.

"What's going on? I need to know so I can try to help." Stiles pleaded as I felt a gut wrenching pain in my stomach that sent me to the floor. I actually let out a scream of pain as I slapped the floor.

"Maggie!" Stiles was on the floor next to me in a second flipping me over and checking for injuries. I saw a flash of blood all over the walls at home and heard Karen's cries.

"Please talk to me. You're freaking me out right now." Stiles sounded upset and the pain started to disappear.

"Karen. Something's wrong with Karen. I've got to get home." I said quickly scrambling to get to my feet.

"Wait are you alright?" Stiles looked me over and I brushed myself off.

"I'm fine. You need to find Lydia." I said patting his chest but he gripped my wrists.

"Wait a second just...Jackson?" I turned around and saw Jackson approaching us looking terrified.

"Are you okay?" I asked but he couldn't find the words to say.

"Where the hell have you been? Did Lydia ever find you?" Stiles asked but Jackson sighed.

"What? What's wrong?" Stiles asked again.

"I-I was out behind the school and...I was out..." He couldn't even form sentences.

"What happened?" I asked stepping towards him and feeling Stiles follow me.

"Jackson, what did you do?" Stiles asked firmly.

"The Argent's k-know. They're...they're going after McCall." Jackson sputtered out.

"You stupid asshole." Stiles shoved Jackson into the lockers and he hit them with a clatter.

"Stiles! That's not going to help anything. Jackson, go find Lydia. She could be in danger." I said standing between them.

"What do you mean?" Jackson asked confused.

"Look, the alpha is here and if she is wandering around looking for your stupid ass and he sees her, he'll tear her to shreds just because. Now sober up fast and get to looking before she ends up a headline on the news." I explained feeling Stiles tense behind me.

"What? Why would she be-" I pushed him hard and he looked stunned.

"JUST GO!" I yelled making him walk away quickly to search for Lydia.

"I'll never forgive myself if something happens to her. I shouldn't have let her go by herself. Dammit." Stiles ran his hands through his hair and I watched him quickly regret having stayed behind to dance with me. It only proved what I had told Scott earlier. No matter how many moments Stiles and I had together Lydia would always be a lingering thought.

"She'll be fine but you've got to go find her. When I saw her in my flash I could feel the cold so check outside." I said before turning around but he gripped my arm to stop me.

"Wait where are you going?" He asked me confused.

"I've got to go find Karen." I said rolling my eyes to the side.

"I'm not letting you go alone Maggie." He said incredulously. I knew we didn't have time to argue and I needed to get home to check on Karen.

"Stiles, you've got to go find Lydia before something terrible happens. I'll be okay, I promise. I'll go straight to the hospital if she's not home." I said trying to make him calm down but it wasn't working.

"No just wait for me! I'll grab Lydia and come with you to find Karen." Stiles pushed but I touched his cheek. He closed his eyes and let out a huff before shaking his head.

"Don't do that. Don't try and make this a choice between you and Lydia." He said opening his eyes and looking torn.

"Stiles, I'm not making you choose. I'm _telling_ you to go find Lydia before she gets hurt. This isn't our goodbye. Not yet." I confirmed.

"You wouldn't lie to me would you?" He squinted at me as I smiled at him. He took my hands into his and squeezed them.

"Tell you what, I'll find Scott and take him with me." I said knowing that Scott needed to get as far away from the Argent's as possible.

"Fine. I don't like this but fine. Be careful." Stiles dropped my hands and started to turn away to head outside but he stopped, spun around and gripped my face planting a kiss on my lips abruptly. It didn't last long and it wasn't as soft as the others we had shared but it was a kiss none the less.

"Not a goodbye kiss!" He yelled as he pulled away and started running for the doors outside.

I was stunned for a few moments before I turned and ran in the opposite direction towards the parking lot. I saw Allison and Scott go out the same way and figured they'd be in the car making out or something but when I saw Scott running into the woods I started to panic. I called after him but he didn't stop. I got in the car and started driving on the road around the woods until I finally spotted him again. He was screaming and crying without his jacket on and pounding his fists into the cold, wet leaves. Before I could get out he started running again but this time when he came to a stop it was at the animal clinic. I jumped out of the car and ran inside to find him in the corner with his knees drawn to his chest.

"Scott! Scott what happened?!" I asked falling to my knees as he sobbed.

"Sh-she knows! She knows what I am and she's terrified." Scott continued to sob and I felt awful for him.

"How do you know she knows?" I asked and he looked up at me.

"Chris Argent cornered me and tried to run me down. I shifted right in front of her. You should have seen her face. She'll never be able to love me now." I reached out and lifted his head.

"Stop that! You know she loves you." Scott jerked away from me and shook his head.

"She can't. Her family lives to kill my kind. It will never work." Scott rocked back and forth and hit his head against the wall. I thought for a few moments and took a deep breath.

"Then we change what you are." He looked at me confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked sniffling.

"If we kill the alpha that bit you then you're cured right? Then let's kill the son of a bitch." I said staring into Scott's eyes. He looked unsure.

"Maggie, that's your father." Scott pointed out but I shook my head.

"He hasn't been my father for 16 years. You've been my brother my whole life. The bastard wants to kill me so bad than I say we beat him to it and get you your life back." I extended my hand to Scott and he took it standing up.

"But first we need to go to my house and find Karen. She will give us what we need to kill Peter." I explained.

"We need to find Derek. He can help us." Scott said and I looked up at his tear streaked face. I wiped his face and he let out a breath. We booked it to the house and before I could even make it up the steps, Scott stopped me.

"I smell blood." He warned and I saw the door was open.

"KAREN!" I ran inside and saw the blood on the walls.

"Oh God." I followed the trail of blood into the kitchen and Karen was lying against the cabinets covered in blood.

"NO!" I ran to her and slid across the floor to get to her. Scott ran in after me and gasped.

"Call 911." I cried.

"Shh baby its okay." Karen said patting my hand with her bloody one.

"Who did this to you?" I asked putting pressure on the wound but she wouldn't tell me.

"Nothing is as it seems. Open your eyes. Use what's in your blood. Don't let it push you into the darkness." Karen started taking deep breaths and I heard footsteps on the hardwood floor. Scott dropped the phone and jacked up the person who entered.

"WHOA! WHOA RELAX! I'M FAMILY!" The guy was tall with shaggy brown hair that fell in his face right below his mustache.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?" I demanded grabbing a kitchen knife and pointing it at him.

"Maggie...its Nathan." Karen spoke putting a weak hand on my hand that held the knife.

"Louis's brother? What are you doing here?" I asked baffled.

"I was supposed to meet Karen and she never showed. I was afraid something had happened with the baby so I came to check. What the hell happened?" He asked as Scott let him go. He ran over and knelt down on the other side of Karen.

"This...this isn't how I wanted you two to meet." Karen smiled weakly.

"Did you call 911? She's lost a lot of blood. This can't be good for the baby." Nathan said but Karen sniffled.

"The baby's already gone. I felt it." She cried. I didn't know what to do. I wasn't ready for this. It wasn't until I looked up and saw the arrow sitting on the counter that I knew who had done this.

"Stay with her." I ran upstairs to my room and found a cellphone sitting on my dresser. I picked it up and hit play.

Kate Argent popped up on the screen and she seemed to be filming it in my bedroom.

"It would seem that our paths have crossed again sweetheart. I figured that I'd give you a little motivation to come find me this time considering kidnapping your B.F.F Derek hasn't done the trick. Your aunt put up one hell of a fight for a pregnant witch but I think we both know who the real power hitter is. You have something I want and I'm done playing games. Get your little friend McCall and come find me or you won't be the only orphan in Beacon Hills. Perhaps instead of the Sheriff, I'll just kill the spaz. You've got until midnight." The screen went black and I felt a rage building inside of myself that seemed to explode out of my hands as I managed to throw the dresser against the wall with just the force of my mind and splintering it into two pieces. I tore out of my dress and put on street clothes just as Scott came running in.

"How did you..." I cut him off.

"Kate Argent did this. She wants us to find her. She has Derek." I said without looking at him.

"Maggie..." He stepped closer and I tossed him a change of clothes.

"I'm willing to kill Peter to give you your life back but you have to do one thing for me." I said as he took the clothes and remained silent.

"You have to let me kill Kate Argent." I said through gritted teeth.

"Maggie, please-" I cut him off.

"My aunt is lying on the floor bleeding to death downstairs and I have a videotaped confession right here. The only justice that I want is Kate Argent's blood. I'm not asking you to help me do it. I'm asking you not to get in my way. I'll give you Peter. Let me have Kate." I explained.

I felt my blood pumping in my veins but there was something else. Something making my body feel hot all over. I ignored it as I walked out of the room and down the steps to see the EMT's arrive.

"She's got a faint pulse. Let's get her out of here." They said as they loaded her onto a stretcher.

"We need someone to ride with us, preferably family." They said and I looked at Nathan.

"Go with her." I said but he stopped me and pulled me aside.

"Look, I know we just met but I can't just leave you here. Some crazy person stabbed your aunt and who knows where they could be." He said seeming worried.

"I do and I intend on making them pay for this. Please just go with her and make sure she doesn't leave your sight. I will meet you at the hospital and explain everything." I said but he stopped me again.

"I know I'm not really the uncle authority figure here but I'm not sure about this." Nathan and I didn't know one another but if something happened to Karen then he would technically be the only family member I had. Not to mention he would be the only human family I had left. I gave him a weak smile and hugged him.

"Please just trust me. Give this to the Sheriff. It's got all the evidence he needs." I whispered.

"We've got to go now." The EMT said as Scott emerged from the stairs.

"I'll protect her with my life. Swear." Scott said and Nathan shook his head before following the EMT's out. I grabbed the bag I had packed of all the things I learned to use to not only protect myself but to take down almost anything including a crazy bitch and douchebag alpha. Scott grabbed my arm as I walked out the back door and I looked over my shoulder at him.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked once again and I felt my mother's necklace around my neck heat up.

"Let's go." I said without even a second thought. This would end tonight. Whether I would live or die was truly the real question.


	18. Made To Suffer

**[Stiles POV]**

I ran as hard as I could to get to Lydia, hearing my heart beating in my ears and the sound of my breath coming out roughly but she had fallen to the ground covered in blood. I was now kneeling before Peter Hale who crouched down in front of me making me stop.

"Don't kill her…please." I begged hearing how weak and desperate I sounded.

"Of course not…just tell me how to find Derek." Peter asked making me space out.

"W-what?" I asked knowing what the original question was but I couldn't focus as he kept running his fingernails across Lydia's face.

"Tell me how to find Derek Hale." Peter asked again.

"I don't know that, how could I possibly know that?" I felt my emotions getting the best of me.

"Because you're the clever one aren't you? Also deception has a particular scent so tell me the truth, Stiles or I will rip her apart." Peter threatened and I tried to calm myself down knowing he could smell my fear and my lies.

"Look I have no idea okay? I swear to God I have no idea where he is." I said but he shouted in my face so powerfully I could feel a headache coming on.

"Okay, okay look…I think he knew-" Peter cut me off.

"Who?" He seethed.

"Derek, I think he knew he was going to be caught that night. He was trying to use himself as a distraction so Scott could get Maggie out of there because if they caught them both it would screw up some hybrid plan or something." I started to explain and he looked even more interested.

"He was captured by the Argent's?" He asked.

"Yeah and Scott lost his phone in the fight." I said making him growl more.

"Get to the point!" He snarled.

"I think he took Scott's phone, they all have GPS now and if he still has it and it's on then you can find him." I breathed finally meeting his eyes. He smirked at me before standing up. All I could do was stare at Lydia as she lie in the grass, bleeding and completely out of it.

"Alrighty then. I suggest we get going." Peter said finally making me shake my head.

"I'm not just leaving her here." I said staring at her.

"You don't have a choice Stiles. You're coming with me." He wiped her blood off his mouth and I felt angry.

"Just kill me! I don't care anymore!" I yelled and Peter put his nail under my chin bringing me to my feet.

"Kill you? My little girl loves you. Why on earth would I kill you? Perhaps you should have a bit more consideration for how she would feel knowing you would willingly die for a girl who barely notices you." Peter's words made my heart beat fast. He seemed almost angry as he kept his nail on my pulse point.

"Call you friend. Have Jackson come get her." Peter breathed and I pulled out my phone to call him.

"Jackson, I found Lydia…you need to get to the field as quickly as possible and get her medical help…HURRY!" I yelled not even letting him speak before hanging up. Peter grabbed me by the collar of my dress shirt and pushed me towards the jeep. I wasn't sure where exactly I was supposed to take him but he told me to drive. I kept my jaw straight and let out heavy sighs thinking about Lydia.

"Don't be mad. If she lives she'll be a werewolf. She'll actually be quite powerful." Peter said not making me feel any better.

"Yeah and once a month she'll go out of her freaking mind and try to tear me apart. Sounds awesome." I said.

"Actually considering she's a woman, it'll be twice a month." Peter's joke was tasteless and I couldn't help but stare at him.

"You know for a guy with a teenage daughter that was in poor taste but then again I guess since you want to kill her I shouldn't be surprised." I said making him laugh.

"You boys don't seem to understand what kind of role Maggie plays in all of this so let me break it down for you- Maggie is the daughter of two very powerful bloodlines. Most of the Hale bloodline is dead as well as the Stevens coven so really her death is essential to her survival." Peter explained making me shake my head.

"That makes absolutely no sense. She's only a kid…she deserves better, especially from you." I said making Peter slam his hand on the dashboard startling me.

"Take the next right." He said as I took the right.

"I guess it would be easy for you to not care about her, I mean you were MIA her whole life. If you knew her then there would be no way you could ever think of hurting her." I felt a lump in my throat praying that whenever we found Derek he would protect Maggie.

"From what I've observed, you've managed to hurt her repeatedly over the course of her return to Beacon Hills. Perhaps I'm merely putting her out of her misery." Peter said pointing to the parking garage. I didn't know what to say.

"See that's the thing about young love, no matter how much you claim to love someone they're always the ones we hurt the most." Peter told me where to park and I pulled into the spot abruptly.

"I'm sure Anna Stevens felt the same way." I mumbled as I got out of the jeep only to be jerked away towards Peter.

"That's one- don't push it." He whispered into my ear as he pulled me towards another car.

"Who's car is this?" I asked nervous.

"It belonged to my nurse." He said as he went to open the trunk.

"Where is she-OH MY GOD!" I covered my face as he popped the trunk open to see his very dead nurse. He grabbed a bag and looked over at me.

"I got better." He said before shutting his trunk and setting his laptop up.

"Good luck getting a signal down here." I spoke too soon as he handed me a wifi box.

"Oh and you're a Mac guy. Does that go for all werewolves or is it a personal preference?" He gave me a look that told me to shut up.

"Turn it on and get logged in." Peter said growing inpatient.

"Even if I get this up and running you need Scott's username and password and I'm sorry but I don't have those." I said making Peter shake his head.

"You have both." He said quickly.

"Uh no I really don't." I tried to sound convincing but he it was failing apparently.

"Even if I couldn't hear your heartbeat right now I would know you were lying." He turned to me and I looked at him.

"Dude I swear to God-" Before I could finish my sentence he shoved me face first into the computer. I breathed hard as I felt the keys press into my cheek.

"I can be very persuasive Stiles, don't make me persuade you. Every moment of my time you waste makes me think of new ways to torture Maggie so stop wasting my time and do what I say." He breathed into my neck and I took a deep breath. I started working on opening up the GPS and couldn't help my mind racing.

"What are you going to do when you find Derek?" I asked and he growled.

"Don't think Stiles, TYPE!" Peter said growing more annoyed with me by the second.

"You're going to kill people." I said letting it sink in.

"Only the ones responsible." Peter said.

"How does that include Maggie? She never did anything but be born and that's not a crime. She had nothing to do with the fire. She's been through enough already." I said trying to plead her innocence.

"Maggie's death is needed." He said simply.

"FOR WHAT?!" I stopped typing and he extended his nails again threatening me.

"In order for her to be reborn. She will be the weapon in my vengeance for our family. She wants it just as much as I do, she just doesn't know it yet." Peter explained and I put my hands back on the computer.

"So there is no way that I can talk you out of trying to hurt her is there?" I asked and he turned my head towards the computer.

"Look you've got to give me something here okay? If I do this, you gotta leave Scott out of it." I said firmly and he sighed.

"I need him and Derek both, that's why wolves hunt in packs. They are stronger as a unit." Peter explained and I shook my head.

"Scott won't help you, especially if you hurt Maggie. She's like family to him." I said not looking at him.

"Yes he will because it'll save Allison. Losing one is better than losing both." Peter said smugly and I suddenly felt like I was betraying Maggie.

"And you'll do it because Scott is your only best friend. You claim to care for Maggie yet you went after Lydia in her time of need." He said and I looked at him to cut him off but he shook his head.

"It's because of you that I even knew my daughter would be trying to flee Beacon Hills again so clearly your feelings aren't as strong as hers are so why don't we just cut through the crap and finish this up. She will not die in vain so please, finish this up." Peter said and I sighed before entering Scott's username.

"His username is Allison?" Peter asked sounding surprised.

"His password is also Allison?" Peter asked sounding even more disgusted at this point.

"Still want him in your pack?" I asked but he simply rolled his eyes. I got the GPS to work and the location calculated.

"That can't be right. That's stupid. I mean…THAT'S where they're keeping him? In his own house?" I said more aloud then I did to Peter but he shook his head.

"Not at it, under it. I know exactly where he is." Peter closed the laptop just as a huge growl echoed in the parking garage. I knew it had to be Scott.

"Give me your keys." Peter said making me sigh. On top of everything else I was getting car jacked.

"Be careful, she grinds in second." I handed him the keys and he squeezed them in his hand before handing them back. They were bent to hell and completely undriveable before walking to his door.

"So you're not going to kill me?" I questioned making him walk back towards me.

"I told you, my daughter cares about you. You just don't get it. I'm not the bad guy here." Peter said and I snorted.

"You turn into a giant monster with red eyes and fangs who kills the family of his only child and now the child itself but you're NOT the bad guy?" I said seeing him smile.

"I can see why she likes you, hell I like you too Stiles." Peter said making me roll my eyes. It wasn't much of a comfort to have Peter's admiration.

"Since you've helped me here I'm going to give you something in return. Do you want the bite?" He asked so plainly it was like he practically asked if I wanted to be on the chess team or something.

"What?" I knew he could hear my heartbeat.

"Say I let Maggie live, you aren't nearly enough to handle someone of her power. She'll need to be with a wolf and I could make that happen for you. I can make you strong enough to be with her." Peter started trying to sell me his pitch.

"That night in the woods, I picked Scott because I needed to start a new pack but it could just as easily been you. If the bite doesn't kill you, which it could, then you'll be just as strong as him, just as fast. You could protect the people you love easier. All you have to do is say yes." Peter started to pull on my wrist and I tried to think it over. If I was a werewolf then maybe I could save Maggie. Maybe I could keep my dad safe from all the craziness that seems to happen here. Maybe I could have all the things I'm currently watching Scott get. Glory, popularity, the girl of his dreams.

"You and Scott would be equals. So is it yes or no?" I could feel his breath on my wrist as I thought about it. I thought about Scott and Maggie and my dad but the moment he bared his teeth I pulled away.

"I don't want to be like you." I breathed heavy as he smiled at me.

"You may believe you're telling the truth but you are lying to yourself. Whether she lives or dies, you will never be enough to handle Maggie." His words felt like a gut punch.

"Goodbye Stiles." He said before getting into his car and pulling out of the parking garage. I stood in the lot hearing another howl and realizing that both my best friends were of the supernatural persuasion yet I'm praying that I could somehow save both of them from a fatal outcome.

**[Scott's POV]**

The moment Derek howled back Maggie said she knew where he was. We headed toward the Hale house. I knew her mind was with Karen and I tried not to think about how especially things were screwed up with Allison and I at the moment but all I could think about was her eyes and how she stared at me. It was a familiar look, almost like the one Maggie gave me the moment she first saw me but it was amplified. I was lucky Maggie found me when she did otherwise I don't think I ever would have left the clinic.

"Ah." Maggie stopped as we stepped onto the Hale grounds and gripped her stomach.

"What is it? Are you okay?" I asked concerned.

"I'm fine but we've got to hurry." Maggie said wincing. She pushed through the pain as we wandered around looking for Derek. I used my senses to pick up Derek's scent and followed it to some gate that lead to a basement.

"You stay here." I said but she gave me this look.

"Get real, McCall. I'll follow but I'm not waiting up." She said and I knew there was no point in arguing. We walked through the halls of the dark, dungeon like basement and I listened to the sound of our heartbeats. When we rounded the corner Maggie gasped.

"Derek!" She ran to him and he lifted his head. It was weird to think that they were actually blood related.

"You shouldn't be here." He said as I worked on the chain attached to his hand.

"Well I'm here so deal with it. We need to get you out of here." Maggie said looking him over. I heard footsteps and Derek looked at me.

"HIDE!" He seethed through his teeth and I pulled Maggie into another room as a man spoke.

 _"Ready to have some more fun?"_ I put my hand up stopping Maggie when she resisted. Sometimes I forget people can't hear what I can hear. We moved slowly as I kept listening and getting closer once again.

"To be honest, my knuckles are kind of hurting so I brought some help. I have to warn you, I played in high school." The man went to swing his bat and Derek reached out and grabbed it.

"I brought a little help too." Derek said and the man turned around to look at me surprised before he punched him in the face sending him flying into a wall knocking him out. Maggie came around the corner holding a crowbar but dropped it when she saw the guy.

"I guess you handled it?" She said and Derek ripped whatever was stuck to his side off.

"Scott, help me with this." Derek shook his chains and I stopped.

"No." I said simply.

"What?" Derek looked over at Maggie and she was looking at me.

"Not until you tell me how to stop Peter." I said seeing Derek's annoyance.

"You want to do this now?" He asked like it wasn't a serious thing.

"He's going after Allison and her family. He's going to kill them." I explained.

"SO WHAT!? Derek shouted.

"So I need to stop him." I said and Derek shook his head.

"You can't. Neither of you can so help me get this thing off before Kate gets back...NOW!" He shouted.

"Promise that you'll help me." I said again and he was getting irritable.

"You want me to risk my life for your girlfriend? Your stupid little teenage crush that means absolutely nothing? You're not in love Scott, you're sixteen years old! You're a child!" Derek shouted in my face and Maggie finally spoke up.

"DEREK! STOP!" She started to say but I shook my head.

"Maybe you're right but I know something you don't. Peter said he didn't know what he was doing when he killed your sister right? He lied. Remember this?" I showed him the page I stole from Deaton's office that Sheriff Stilinski gave him.

"This is what Laura came back to Beacon Hills for right?" I pushed.

"Where did you get that?" Derek asked.

"Scott-" I cut Maggie off.

"My boss told me three months ago someone came in asking for a copy of this picture. Do you want to know who it was? Peter's nurse. They brought your sister here so Peter could kill her and become the Alpha. I have no idea why he wants to kill Maggie but I know you don't want that just as much as I don't and THAT'S why you're going to help me. I don't care how you feel about the Argent's. This is about saving Maggie too." I said making Derek lean against the cage.

"Were you going to let Peter kill me?" She asked making Derek look at her.

"I-I didn't-" Derek started to say but she backed away from him. I turned my back on him and put my hand on her shoulder only to hear the clatter of the chains.

"I'll help you." Derek rubbed his wrists as he got the other shackle off. Maggie gave him a small smile before she got that pain in her stomach again.

"We've got to hurry." I said putting my arm around her. Derek grabbed his clothes that sat on top of some machine and put them back on before we walked out of the dungeon.

"Hold up, something doesn't feel right?" Derek said out of breath.

"What do you mean?" I asked looking around.

"It's kinda like it was-" I cut him off.

"DON'T SAY TOO EASY! None of this was easy. Finding you wasn't easy and Maggie...Maggie had to leave Karen-" Derek cut me off.

"What happened to Karen?" He asked looking at her.

"Kate attacked her. She lost the baby." Maggie bit her lip as she leaned up against the tree and Derek stepped towards her.

"I'm so-" Before Derek could finish what he was going to say he was hit with an arrow in the arm. Maggie and I ducked down immediately. Derek tried to get up and I looked up to see Kate and Allison positioned on the top of the hill. Allison shot and hit Derek in the leg. I was in shock as she pointed the arrow at me.

"NO!" Maggie screamed and put her hand up and we both watched the arrow curve past me and hit the tree, exploding and blinding all of us.

"SCOTT! GET UP!" I blinked a few times as Maggie screamed. She was hauling Derek to his feet before he gripped the back of my jacket and started to drag me towards the house. I kept rubbing my eyes but I could see Allison walking towards me.

"Allison I can explain." I said.

"Stop lying. For once stop lying." Allison was clearly upset.

"I was going to tell you the truth, at formal. Everything I said, everything I did-" She cut me off.

"Was to protect me." She finished.

"Yes. You've got to believe me." I begged and I could finally see her clearly.

"I don't believe you." Allison had tears in her eyes.

"Allison...he's telling you the truth. He loves you." Maggie said but Kate let out a dramatic sigh.

"BACK OFF!" Maggie yelled and Allison stopped.

"Maggie, MAGGIE! Don't hurt her...please." I begged and Maggie still stayed in front of me. This was not the fight I was expecting.

**[Stiles POV]**

I could hardly breathe as I burst through the elevator doors to see my dad standing in the hallway of the hospital. I could see Lydia in a hospital bed just over his shoulder but he stopped me.

"You better have some damn good, honest explanations as to what the hell is going on here Stiles because you are in a world of hurt right now." My dad pointed at me and I couldn't take my eyes off of Lydia.

"Where have you been?!" He was trying not to shout but that only made him look angrier.

"I...I lost my keys, I ran all the way here." I said trying to catch my breath.

"I DON'T CARE!" This time he yelled.

"Is...is she gonna be okay?" I asked and he looked back at Lydia.

"They don't know. She lost a lot of blood but her body keeps going into shock like she's having an allergic reaction. They can't figure it out mostly because they don't know what happened. Did you see anything? I mean do you know who or what attacked her?" My dad looked at me like he wanted any kind of answer but I knew I couldn't give him what he wanted, what I really wanted to give him which was the truth.

"No I didn't see anything." I wiped my face and he sighed.

"What about Maggie or Scott?" I looked at him shocked.

"W-what do you mean? They aren't here?" I asked confused.

"I've been calling them both on their cells. Scott isn't answering and the last person to see Maggie was her uncle Nathan when Karen was brought in. He said she took off with Scott." I looked over my dad's shoulder at Jackson and he shook his head.

"W-what happened to Karen?" I asked almost dreading the answer.

"She was attacked in her home. She lost the baby. Melissa said it's not looking good for her." I raked my hands down my face and held them to my mouth.

"Do you have any idea where Maggie would go to?" Dad asked but I just shook my head. We started to walk down the hallway and I couldn't stop fidgeting.

"You should probably just go wait with your friends." He said sounding concerned.

"Dad just talk to me okay. I know it has something to do with Derek." I said seeing him do a double take.

"Wait I thought you both said you two barely even knew the guy." Dad said stopping in the hallway.

"Well we may have found out that he's related to Maggie." Dad's eyes went wide as he gripped the back of my neck and forced me down the hallway.

"Are you kidding me?! That's a pretty big detail to keep to yourself Stiles. That small detail could mean real trouble for Maggie. You are aware that I get elected to this job right?" Dad said through gritted teeth.

"If you let me help you figure this out then you will get reelected. Come on Dad, if Maggie is in danger than I need to help." I watched him let out a sigh and he rubbed his face.

"Witness outside of Karen's house gave a description of a women, the same women is the sole suspect in the Hale arson case." He explained.

"When did you decide it was arson?" I asked trying to keep my voice down.

"We got a witness and before you ask, I'm not telling you. All we know is she's probably in her late twenties and has a very distinct pendant. We also think she might have been involved in the death of Karen's sisters, including Maggie's mom." Dad's phone started to ring.

"So what? It's like some big conspiracy to kill Maggie or just like everyone in her family?" I asked and my dad shook his head.

"I have to take this." He said but I gripped his arm.

"Wait, what the hell is a pendant?" I asked confused.

"Stiles! Do you go to school?! A pendant, it's a necklace. I have to take this call, it's Melissa." Dad walked away and I ran my hands through my hair trying to think about who he could be talking about. It didn't take long before it hit me in my face. The necklace we tried to steal from Allison that Kate gave her, Kate attacking Derek...Kate was the one who burned down the Hale house...which meant she also attacked Karen. I started to walk down the hallway and of course I had to run into Jackson.

"Where are you going?" He asked following me.

"To find Maggie and Scott." I said without looking at him.

"You don't even have a car." Jackson added.

"I'm aware of that, thank you." I was fighting the urge to deck him.

"I can drive, just let me-" The moment he put his hand on my shoulder I turned around.

"Look just because you're a dick to everyone and suddenly feel guilty doesn't mean anything. Half of this is your fault. Scott and Maggie could get hurt and Lydia already is." I shouted but before Jackson could say anything Chris Argent and two giant guys walked up on us.

"Boys, I was wondering if you've seen Scott McCall?" He smiled at us.

"Um nope can't say I have. How about you Jackson?" I asked but he became a bumbling idiot.

"For the love of God..." Argent's goons grabbed Jackson and I up and tossed us into a surgical room before locking the door.

"Let's try this again, where is Scott McCall?" Chris asked once more.

"Look, my dad is-" Chris Argent jerked me up from the gurney and slammed me against the cabinet.

"Let me ask you something Stiles, have you ever seen a rabid dog?" He asked as he kept me pinned to the cabinet by my shirt.

"Can't say I have, I'll be sure to put it on my to-do list." He shoved me again and I hit my head on the glass.

"Well I have and you want to know the only thing I have to compare it to? My best friend turning on the full moon. Do you want to know how it ended?" He asked me.

"Not really but I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway." He pursed his lips together at me.

"I had to put a bullet in his head. Even after as he was lying there dying, he kept coming at me like killing me was the one thing he had to do with his last breath, can you imagine that?" He let go of my shirt and I swallowed hard.

"No but it sounds like you need to be more selective-" He jerked me up again.

"DID SCOTT TRY TO KILL YOU ON THE FULL MOON? DID YOU HAVE TO LOCK HIM UP?!" He shouted in my face.

"YES! I had to handcuff him to a radiator okay! Why would you prefer I lock him in the basement and burn the whole house down around him?!" I said through clenched teeth. He pulled back a bit and pointed at me but he didn't say anything.

"Or how about tracking an innocent girl around the country and picking off members of her family one by one including a pregnant woman. Where is your moral compass fall on that?" I tested the boundaries and he looked back at Jackson.

"I don't know where you've heard all these rumors but they aren't true." He said firmly.

"That's right. Derek said you had a code. I guess no one ever breaks it huh? Does that go for all supernatural kinds or just werewolves?" I asked and he looked back at me.

"What are you getting at Stiles?" He questioned and I took a deep breath.

"I think maybe you should look at your sister before trying to talk moral codes with someone because I watched her harass Maggie in the hallway at school for no reason. I don't care what people say about her and her family they didn't hurt anyone!" I said watching him clench his jaw.

"Whatever you think you know-" Chris pointed at me once more and I interrupted him.

"I don't know much at all but I do know she's a 16 year old orphan just because her father just so happens to be a Hale. How about you let that sink in." I said feeling my anger start to rise. Chris Argent looked at me surprised before letting me go completely like he suddenly put all the pieces together.

"Maggie...she's a Hale?" He said out loud before walking back to the door and flipping the lock on it. His goons left the room and I let out a heavy breath.

"What the hell is going on?" Jackson asked with his keys in his hand. I snatched them quickly before running out of the room.

"The rumors are true okay? Maggie's a witch, from a witch family and her father is the werewolf that hurt Lydia." I said as we slipped into the Porsche.

"What the hell does that have to do with Lydia? Why would he go after her if he wants to kill Maggie?" Jackson asked as I shifted the car.

"I-I don't know but we need to make a stop back at school first. I need to get a few things." I explained knowing if we were going to walk into a werewolf battle we were going to need a little more than an expensive car and my astounding wit. All I could think about now was making sure Maggie was okay.

**[Maggie's POV]**

Things were happening so quickly it was hard to keep up. I kept Allison at least a few feet from Scott but when Kate started towards us I wasn't sure if I could take them both.

"Blah blah can you shoot them already?" Kate said making Allison turn around.

"I thought we were just going to capture them?" Allison questioned.

"We did that, now we kill them. See, it's not that hard." Kate shot Derek and he stopped moving.

"NO!" I screamed knowing it would be too dangerous to move towards Derek because Scott would be unprotected but Kate raised her gun at me. I kept hearing Karen's voice in my head telling me to focus and so I did. I focused on knocking the gun out of her hand and she looked surprised when it flew sideways.

"Well look at you. Looks like someone has been working on harnessing their witchy side." Kate laughed.

"I know you can take down a pregnant woman but how about me?" Maggie put her arms out and I glanced at Allison who looked confused.

"Oh sweetheart, you think you could handle me?" Kate challenged as she kicked Derek's lifeless foot.

"I'm right here bitch." I put my hands up ready to take her on and she smirked before putting her hands up.

"What the hell." She walked towards me and I readied myself. Caroline taught me hand to hand combat to prepare me for this exact moment and I sure as hell wasn't going to let her down. Kate took the first few swings at me and I ducked all three of them before planting my elbow in her back and making her slump over. I kicked my foot up and hit her directly in the face before pushing her away from me. She looked shocked.

"Who'd you learn that from? Caroline? She was always a cocky bitch." Kate said as she went for me again. I blocked two punches but she kneed me in the stomach making the flashes of her attack on Karen pop into my head.

"Kate! Stop it!" Allison tried to stop her but she shoved her to the ground near Scott. This time I ran at her and started throwing the punches and she managed to block most of them but I gave her a headbutt which sent a surge of memories into my head.

"Maggie!" Scott yelled as I went to my knees. Kate shook off the blow and ran towards me but I kicked her legs out from under her.

"Looks like someone is getting a little too old to keep up." I said making her grit her teeth at me before grabbing my shirt and rolling us, trying to get on top of me but I flipped her off of me and got to my feet.

"I'm getting tired of you." Kate said as she got to her feet once more but I had thrown her towards the gun.

"You're strong, I'll give you that but you couldn't have actually thought you could beat me." She held the gun at me and I tried to catch my breath.

"Pull the trigger. I'm focusing really hard on that bullet going right into your skull you tactless bitch." I seethed and she bit her lip as she was about to pull the trigger but a voice called out.

"KATE! That's enough." It was Chris Argent.

"She attacked me." Kate said keeping her gun trained on me.

"I know what you did. Put the gun down." Chris said making her look at him.

"I did what I was told to do." Kate said keeping her gun on me.

"No one asked you to murder innocent people. There were children in that house, ones that were human and Karen Carter lost her baby-" Kate cut him off.

"THAT BABY...that baby would grow into another one of them and the last thing we need is for a pack and a coven to take over Beacon Hills." Kate yelled.

"Look what you're doing now! You are holding a gun on a child, both her and Scott are innocent of spilling any blood." Chris explained and Kate shook it off.

"She's the hybrid. If she doesn't die, she'll end up wiping us all out and I'm not going to let that happen." Kate looked at me once more but Chris raised his gun on her.

"Put the gun down." He warned before firing a shot into the tree just over her shoulder. She was completely thrown and lowered her gun but the surging pain of fire hit me in the stomach making me drop to my knees again.

"Maggie! Maggie what's going on?" Scott crawled over to me and I gripped my stomach.

"H-He's here..." I said just as the front door to the burnt down mansion started to swing open.

"Allison get back!" Chris said pointing his gun at the house. Scott pulled me to my feet and we tried to prepare ourselves the best we could. I looked back and didn't see Derek anywhere which was a relief.

"What is it?" Allison asked sounding terrified.

"It's the alpha." Scott said. We all tried to be on our toes but one by one everyone was starting to get knocked down. First Chris, then Allison and Scott and then it was only Kate and I on our feet.

"COME ON!" Kate screamed waiting for him to stop long enough to be seen and when he did he gripped her wrist tightly as she fired off her gun. I backed into the tree behind me. I hadn't seen him since I was a baby. I didn't even remember him and now here he was, not a dream, not a voice in my head but standing right before my eyes. He gripped her throat and threw her all the way towards the house before turning to look at me.

"My beautiful girl, you've grown so much over the years. You are so much more beautiful than I could have even imagined." He stepped forward and put his hand out but I stepped away.

"Don't touch me!" I said with a shaky tone.

"No hug for your father? Oh well I have other business I have to attend to but I imagine you'll want to accompany me." He gestured towards Kate who was struggling to get up.

"Maggie...don't." Allison pleaded and I felt a hand around my throat.

"Don't you ever take pity on an Argent. We all know how much mercy they showed your family." Peter whispered in my ear. Allison looked like she was about to do something and I put my hand up to stop her. Peter dragged me inside and snatched Kate up with his other hand before kicking the door shut.

"I feel it's only fitting for us to kill her together. I mean she did kill Karen's unborn child, did she not?" Peter dropped me on the floor and I looked up at him as his nails stayed against Kate's throat.

"She may have killed Karen's baby but you killed my mother." Tears flooded my eyes and he shook his head.

"Sadly, that is not the truth. I had nothing to do with your mother or your sisters deaths but I know who did." He said yanking on Kate's hair.

"No...no I saw you there. It was you. I saw you in the visions." I said shaking my head.

"I was there but I was merely watching over you. Kate here knows exactly who killed your mother. Tell her. TELL HER!" He growled making Kate squeeze her eyes shut.

"I...I didn't-" Allison ran in and Kate stopped talking.

"She is certainly beautiful Kate. She looks just like you. Do you know who my Maggie looks like? Her mother. She was beautiful, loved fiercely and hell of a spark in her but not anymore. She's gone thanks to you." Peter's voice broke and Allison stood to my right.

"I'm going to give you a chance to save your beautiful niece. A chance that my daughter will never get because of you." Peter started to squeeze and Kate flinched making Allison gasp.

"Apologize. Apologize for disseminating my family, ruining my daughter's life and leaving me burned and broken for six years to make my daughter think I'm a monster." Allison shook her head and I put my hand up so she wouldn't charge him.

"Say it and I'll let her live." Peter said as Kate looked over at me.

"I-I'm sorry." Kate said and I tried to take a deep breath in but Peter ripped her throat anyway. Allison stepped forward as Kate hit the ground but she covered her mouth.

"I don't know about you baby but that didn't sound very sincere to me. What do you think Allison?" Peter glare at her and I moved in front of her.

"You're not going to hurt her. I won't let you." I said and I could feel Allison's breath on my neck.

"Don't you understand...it's because of her family that I have to kill you. They set all of this into effect. She is just as guilty as the rest of them." Peter stepped closer to me and ran his fingernail under my chin. I closed my eyes thinking he was going to end me right then and there but then I heard a growl. He took his finger off my chin and I looked to my left at Scott then to my right as Derek came around the corner.

"Don't touch her." Derek growled.

"Get out of here." Scott said not taking his eyes off of Peter. I grabbed Allison's hand and rushed outside just as Chris Argent was getting to his feet. Allison ran over to help him and I shook my head. I didn't like the idea of Derek and Scott fighting for me. All I could hear was growling and wood splintering as the house shook around them.

"Maggie! MAGGIE! I need you to go with Allison and get out of here." Chris Argent said but I shook my head.

"I'm not going anywhere. That's my family in there." I said keeping my eyes on the house as Scott came barreling out of the window and onto the grass. I ran over to him and he shook his head.

"Stay back!" He pushed me back just as Peter came out of the window in full alpha form. I felt my jaw drop as he picked Scott up off his feet and held him in the air but not for too long as Scott kicked off his chest making them both fall. I focused all my strength on stopping the fight and just as Peter got to his feet to charge Scott again, I jumped in front of him, putting my hands out. He was suspended in mind air and looked at me almost confused. I could hear Scott get to his feet behind me.

"Maggie..." Scott whispered but I focused on keeping him suspended. He growled in my face and I could feel the hot, moist breath on my face as my knees shook. I stared up into his eyes and started to see flashes of Peter watching me grow up. He was covered in burns and his nurse was with him but he was there.

A sudden car horn snapped my train of thought and Peter came tumbling into me. I felt a deep sharp pain go into my chest and my eyes went wide as I got another flash. Every moment that I've been back in Beacon Hills flashed before my eyes but it was through the eyes of Peter. I felt the sharp pain disappear and fell to the ground feeling the pain remain as blood seeped through my clothes.

**[Scott's POV]**

I watched Peter drop Maggie on the ground and looked at the car that had pulled up. Stiles jumped out and threw one of those cocktails that Lydia showed us how to make and I suddenly was never so happy to see him. The bottle sailed through the air and Peter actually caught it.

"Oh...damn." Stiles said as Peter growled at him. The first thing that I saw was the bow next to my feet.

"ALLISON!" I yelled tossing her the bow. She quickly loaded it and shot the bottle before he could throw it at her, setting his arm on fire. He shook his arm trying to get it to go out but it didn't. Jackson took that moment to throw the other bottle at him and he went up instantly. Maggie staggered to her feet and I saw Peter going for her.

"NO!" I yelled as I jumped up and kicked him as hard as I could sending him away from Maggie and Allison's general direction before stumbling near a tree. The flames started to go out as he fell to the ground and started to change back. Stiles and Jackson stood over by the car breathing heavy and Maggie sat breathing heavy against the porch steps but it was Allison who approached me slowly.

I knew I was still wolfed out and I hated for her to have to see me like this but she gripped my face looking me over. She leaned into me and I felt myself starting to change back as her lips met mine. I was surprised she wanted to be this close to me let alone wanting to kiss me. When she pulled away I looked at her eyes and she looked at peace.

"Why'd you do that?" I asked confused and she looked me over now that I had turned back.

"Because I love you." I felt my chest heat up. I couldn't help but crack a smile as she leaned her forehead against mine. I could see Chris Argent standing up and looking at us almost disappointed but it was Derek's footsteps that reminded me of why I asked for his help to begin with. He was walking over to Peter as he gurgled and twitched. I jumped to my feet and raced over to Derek.

"WAIT! You said the cure comes from the one that bit you. Derek, if you do this then I'm dead. What am I supposed to do? Please." I begged him but he didn't look back at me.

"You...you know...what you...have to do." Peter spoke from under Derek.

"S-save...her." I shook my head trying to figure out what the hell Peter was talking about.

"Save who?" I asked.

"Oh God! Maggie!" Stiles ran towards Maggie who was spitting up blood and holding her hands to her chest where blood was dripping from her shirt. I ran over and dropped to my knees as Stiles pulled Maggie into his lap.

"Come on Maggie, you've got to know a spell or something to fix this. Come on." Stiles said frantically.

"I can call Deaton, he can help." I said pulling my phone out of my pocket but Maggie reached out.

"Scott...Scott, there's no time." She said weakly.

"Don't you do this to me, Maggie. You promised me that we'd have more time. This...this isn't supposed to be like this." Stiles was getting upset and I didn't know what to do.

"Maggie, tell us what to do. Please." I begged and she gave me a sad smile.

"I want-" She started to cough and wince in pain and I could actually smell the life leaving her.

"I want you to take care of each other." She said making Stiles breakdown.

"No, no don't do that. Don't say goodbyes. Not yet!" Stiles demanded. She reached up and wiped tears off of his cheek leaving a little line of her blood there.

"I love you both so much and I'm so sorry we didn't have more time. I'm glad I got to come back and spend time with you." She looked between us both and I felt tears falling from my eyes.

"Maggie PLEASE! I'll do anything, please don't leave me. I'm so sorry, this is all my fault." I had never seen Stiles so upset in my life. He pushed her hair out of her face and she shook her head.

"Just...let...her...die." Peter growled with Derek still standing over him.

"DO IT!" Peter was taunting Derek and it worked. I watched him bring his hand down and slash Peter's throat. I fell back onto my heels and shook my head. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Allison. Maggie's eyes started to close and I let out a sob I didn't know I had in me as Stiles screamed.

**[Stiles POV]**

I refused to believe it. It all happened just like I had seen it but I didn't want to believe she was gone. I felt my throat becoming raw but I couldn't hear myself screaming. Scott rolled over into Allison who was also crying and I saw Chris Argent walking towards us.

"Please you've got to help her." I begged him and he made a move towards her.

"STOP! Don't touch her." Derek walked over and Scott jumped to his feet as the two of them started arguing. Allison stayed at my side crying as Maggie lay lifeless in my arms.

"It's going to be okay Stiles." Allison cried but I shook my head.

"No...no it's not." I said kissing Maggie's head. I finally started to tune into the arguing.

"She's my family and I'll take care of it!" Derek shouted at Chris Argent as Scott stood between them.

"Yeah you seem to be doing a great job!" Chris yelled back.

"ENOUGH! FOR CHRIST SAKE, ENOUGH OF THE GOD DAMN FEUD! M-my best friend is lying here dying because of this stupid feud." I said feeling the heat in my face as I yelled. I don't know why I instinctively covered one of Maggie's ears like she would hear me yelling at people but I did.

"Derek, you handle doing something with Peter's body since you've decided being the alpha is more important than giving Scott a shot at being human again." I said firmly looking at Derek as he fumed but he actually seemed to look at me with an ounce of sympathy as I held his last remaining relative in my arms.

"If you can help then please...help her. You owe her that much." I said looking at Chris Argent. He looked at Derek before looking at Scott.

"Dad...please." Allison added holding Maggie's free hand that Scott was once holding. He walked over and felt for a pulse.

"We need to restart her heart quickly if there is any chance of saving her." He explained before pulling what looked like a night stick from his belt holder.

"You want to use a stun gun on her? Will that work?" Scott asked sniffling.

"It's not a stun gun. It's got the juice of a defibrillator. If anything will start the heart it'll be this." He said starting it up. It made a noise that gave me the creeps but I was desperate.

"You've got to put her down son. I can't hit her with this if you're holding her. It'll shock you too and it'll kill you." I looked down at her and couldn't let go. Scott put his hands on my shoulders and I bit my lip as he moved me back a bit.

"It's gonna be okay man. She wouldn't leave us like this." Scott squeezed my shoulders and Chris Argent licked his lips before hitting Maggie's body with the stick. I watched purple electricity come out of it and her body seized up before he pulled it away and quickly bent down to check her pulse.

"Nothing." Chris said and I put my hands to my face.

"Come on Maggie. Please don't leave us. I need you. Please." I begged. I thought of my mom and tried to somehow channel her for strength. He hit her once more and nothing happened but on the third try she made a gasped noise and he checked for a pulse.

"We've got to get her to the hospital. NOW!" Chris said picking her up.

"I've got the Porsche." Jackson said quickly and we raced to the car. I got in the back and Chris laid her small body on top of me.

"Keep pressure on the wound." Chris said and Scott jumped into the passenger seat as Jackson peeled out of the woods. Chris wouldn't let Allison come with us but I didn't care. All I could focus on was getting to the hospital and saving Maggie. She groaned as Scott and I kept putting pressure on the deep tear in her chest but I just kept talking to.

"It's going to be okay Maggie. Just hang on for me." I looked up at Scott and we shared a look that was utter terror. I let myself believe for one minute that Maggie's vision wasn't real and I was in no way prepared for it actually coming true. As we skidded to the front of the hospital, Scott took Maggie out of my arms and I chased after him into the hospital.

"HELP! WE NEED HELP!" Scott screamed and someone with a gurney came running towards us.

"What happened?" One of the doctors asked as he checked her over.

"She was attacked. Please help her." I said as my voice cut off. Scott followed after the doctors and I felt this sudden rush of panic like things were suddenly out of my hands. Someone grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.

"Stiles...Oh God...what happened?" It was my dad. I felt my face break first.

"It's not my blood." I felt my lip trembling like an infant and he squeeze my shoulder.

"Son...who's is it?" He asked almost afraid of the answer and I looked up into his face with tears burning my eyes.

"It's Maggie's...It's Maggie's." My knees gave out and my dad held me up as I cried like a freaking baby on the floor of the emergency room. My dad kept asking me questions but all I could hear was the sound of my heart beating in my chest as I wailed. I hadn't felt this broken since the day my mom died and I prayed to whoever was listening to give Maggie a second chance.


	19. Never Let Me Go

**[Maggie's POV]**

I woke up startled, breathing heavy and feeling a searing pain in my chest. I was lying in wet grass and could taste the fog in the air. I rubbed at my head confused as to where I was until I turned around and saw my old house.

"Scott? Stiles?" I called out hoping for someone to answer but it stayed silent. I realized I didn't have my shoes once I started walking, feeling the wet blades of grass tickle my ankles and the ache of my entire body as my muscles moved against my bones with every step.

"Derek? Hello?" I called out again as I walked up the sidewalk with my back facing the house. I was starting to feel truly alone and wasn't sure if I was scared or relieved.

"IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?!" I yelled more forcefully this time. That's when I felt a presence behind me.

"W-who are you?" I asked without turning around.

"You know who I am baby." The voice brought instant tears to my eyes. I hadn't heard it in so long and I couldn't believe it. I turned around slowly and felt my chest ache as my mom stood on the top of the steps to our old house.

"Welcome home baby." She smiled at me with tears in her own eyes as she descended the steps one at a time.

"This…this can't be real. You aren't real." I accused backing up slightly.

"I can show you I'm real." She said stopping in front of me. I looked her up and down as she moved closer and put her arms out. When she wrapped her arms around me, I felt warmth invade my entire being. I let out a breath that I felt like I had been holding my whole life.

"It's me Maggie. It's momma." She said as I inhaled her familiar scent of vanilla candles. I hugged her back, not believing I could actually feel her arms around me again. I've had dreams of this moment for years but none of them compared to this feeling.

"Mom? Momma!" I said in disbelief as I squeezed her tightly.

"I'm here baby. I've got you." She said as my knees gave out and she held me in her lap like I was a little girl again. She rocked me back and forth in her lap for a few moments before I even bothered looking up and when I did, Evie and Caroline were standing on the porch smiling down at us.

"Wait…if this is all real, if you're all real then does that mean…" I was cut off by another voice.

"You're not dead, but we are." It was Karen and she walked out of the house.

**[Scott's POV]**

It had been a week since Derek killed Peter. Lydia had somehow managed to fight off the bite and seemed to be immune to it but the only person who hadn't recovered from that night was Maggie. When Peter ran into Maggie he managed to shove his claws deep enough to almost penetrate her heart. They've kept her on machines ever since she checked in but she still hadn't woken up yet. Stiles was practically living at the hospital while I tried to get some kind of answer from reading through the spell books at her house but the pages wouldn't appear to me for some reason. I tried to call Deaton but he had disappeared for a few days on "work related issues". Derek was also suddenly impossible to find but we weren't going to give up. I was relieved when my phone finally rang and Deaton's name came across the screen.

"Thank God! I've been trying to reach you. Maggie is-" He cut me off.

"I know Scott and I'm sure you boys are doing everything you can to ensure she comes out of this but reading those books won't help you." Deaton said making me look down at the blank pages.

"How did you know I was reading the books?" I asked curiously.

"Because you're smarter than you give yourself credit for. However those books require blood to be read and it can't be the blood of a werewolf. Perhaps give them to Mr. Stilinski." Deaton said and I quickly gathered the books.

"When are you coming back? We could really use your help." I said adjusting the phone on my shoulder.

"Soon. Has Karen passed yet?" Deaton's words made me stop moving.

"What? No. She's still unresponsive." I said unsure of why Deaton would ask that.

"Well be prepared for it. She is key to Maggie's survival. Call me again if you can't find what you're looking for." Deaton said before hanging up. I looked at my screen confused before shoving the phone in my pocket and racing out the house with the bag of books on my shoulder.

I knew Stiles would be at the hospital because the Sheriff had called me to see if he was in school today and he still wasn't. I actually had to bring him his work to do in between the doctors doing tests on Maggie. We both were torn up about what was going on but Stiles was taking it to the extreme.

I pushed through the hospital to see Sheriff Stilinski hugging Mom.

"Oh no...what...is it-" She gripped my arm as I feared the worst and she shook her head.

"We lost Karen this morning." She clarified. I let out a heavy breath and let my mom hug me. The sheriff nodded at me.

"I brought Stiles school books for us to work on." I put a hand on my bag and mom wiped her face.

"You know where he is." Sheriff nodded over his shoulder. I gave my mom a squeeze before walking towards her room in the I.C unit. I could hear Stiles talking from down the hallway.

"It was foggy this morning. It's kind of cool though. I wouldn't actually know. I don't even remember the last time I went outside. Scott is working on reading through your books, I hope you don't get pissed about that. We're just trying to help. You know we couldn't live without you again...I know I couldn't." His words faded off and I stepped into the room.

"Hey, did you find something?" He asked eyes wide.

"Um Deaton actually called. He said the reason I can't read them is because you need pure blood or something. I brought them with me just don't let your dad see them I guess." I handed him the bag and he nodded his head.

"You hear about Karen?" He asked rubbing his face.

"Yeah just now. My mom is pretty broken up about it." I pointed towards the door.

"Maggie's going to be devastated." Stiles added making me look at Maggie's body. She was pale and her lips were discolored. I didn't have the heart to tell him she smelled like she was dying.

"Stiles...what if she doesn't want us to save her? What if-" Stiles looked up at me like I'd just insulted his mother.

"So you're giving up on her? Just tell me now Scott so I can know that I'm wasting my time with trusting you to read these." He lifted the bag up and dropped it.

"No man I just-" He cut me off again.

"I'M NOT LETTING HER GO!" Stiles yelled at me.

"I KNOW! Okay? I know. I'm not letting her go either but this isn't what she would want you to do. Look at yourself man. You barely sleep, you stopped going to school and have you eaten today?" I questioned and he shook his head.

"Look she told me to take care of you and I'm not going to break that promise to her okay? I'm all in this with you but you've got to take care of yourself too otherwise who will she have to lean on when she comes out of this?" I tried talking sense into him and he took a deep breath.

"There's just..." He looked like he was getting choked up.

"There is so much I didn't get to say to her man. I need to say those things. I just have to." He rung his hands out in front of him and I walked around the bed to give him a hug. He seemed resistant at first.

"You will man. It's going to be okay." I said trying to reassure him and he finally gave in and hugged me back. When I released him he ran his hands down his face.

"Go get some food and take a shower. You're starting to reek bro." I said slapping his back. He cracked a smile before looking over at Maggie.

"Will you stay with her? I won't be gone long. I've still got the clothes my dad brought this morning and I can grab something from the cafeteria." Stiles said and I shook my head.

"I won't move until you get back." I sat down in the chair and he looked at her again before grabbing his bag from the table and walking into the bathroom to shower. I grabbed Maggie's hand carefully not to bump the IV that was sticking out of it and watched the machine's beep.

"Hey Mags, I guess I should tell you what's been going on outside of here. You know I've been trying to get Stiles out of here for a few hours but it's obviously difficult. Not that sitting with you isn't important, you're still important!" I felt like I was making a fool of myself and she was laughing internally at me.

"School is quieter than usual. I guess without you and Stiles there I don't know what I'm doing most of the day. Isaac asked about you. Stiles wouldn't let him come in here so he told me to send good vibes. He seems like a good guy. Allison and I were kind of forbidden from seeing each other which kind of sucks because she's the only one helping me deal with this." I frowned and ran my thumb over her cold, clammy hand.

"Love isn't like what we all grow up thinking it is. I thought when I found someone that I loved it would be magical and life changing. I never expected having a gun in my face and death threats. I'm sorry you've had to go through the ringer with Stiles all these years. Nazareth was right, love does hurt." I joked not seeing her face even twitch.

"I need you to give me a sign Maggie. I need to know what the right thing to do is. Do you want us to save you or do you want us to move on? Honestly I can't stand the thought of losing you again but what I'm most worried about is Stiles. Maggie...I don't think Stiles will survive losing you, not like this. Not after his mom." I rested my forehead on her hand and said a silent prayer to whoever was listening to give me some answers.

**[Maggie's POV]**

I walked into the house and could actually feel my childhood memories rushing through my head. Blanket forts with Scott and Stiles, movie nights with mom, everything that reminded me of when things were happy and joyful flooded me like a welcoming slideshow.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions." Caroline spoke up from the chair in the living room.

"GOD! She is so grown up. I just want to hug her!" Evie jumped up and hugged me tightly making me laugh.

"Give her some room Ev. We don't want to make any of this harder for her." Mom said as Evie released me.

"Make what harder? This is...this is everything I could possibly ask for. I've missed you all so much." I said honestly but they didn't seem as excited to see me as I was to see them.

"You can't stay here Maggie. You aren't meant to die yet." Caroline spoke up. I looked between all of them and shook my head.

"Clearly I am considering I know you three are dead without any doubts and I can see you right now. If Karen is here then there is nothing for me to go back to anyway." I pointed out and Karen frowned at me.

"This is how it's meant to be. Our deaths were set in motion so that you could absorb the power of the coven. Because Peter was killed as an alpha, you're wolf bloodline has been triggered. You're one of the strongest beings in the supernatural realm." Caroline explained.

"But I never wanted to be the strongest supernatural being in the realm. It's hard enough being a mediocre witch and now I've got to be a werewolf too?" I raised my voice.

"Maggie-" Karen stepped closer to me and I threw my hands out.

"NO! I'm not going back to be alone! I don't want to be some super werewitch! I want to stay here, with all of you!" I shouted making my mom cover her mouth.

"That's not your fate sweetheart." Karen finally spoke up and I sat down on the couch crying like a child. I felt the couch sink on both sides of me as arms snaked around my neck. Karen and Mom sat on either side of me while Evie held me from behind and Caroline held my hands kneeling in front of me. I don't ever remember being this surrounded by love my whole life.

"I don't want to go back and be all alone. I'm not ready to take all of this on. I've barely got the witch thing down and even then I fail at times." I explained and Karen wiped my face.

"You've been doing just fine. It's all about control Maggie. You have the power to control your surroundings. As long as you focus on the task then you can do extraordinary things." She explained.

"I don't want to do extraordinary things. I want to be normal and have a family and be able to worry about school and my dating life. I don't want all of this and I sure as hell can't do it alone." I said and Karen broke down a bit.

"This is just our messed up fate and I'm so sorry you got caught in the middle of all of it." She bit her lip and Caroline gripped her hand.

"Just because we aren't there doesn't mean you can't communicate with us. If you really need us then all you have to do-" Evie started to say but Caroline cut her off with a look.

"I thought you couldn't bring the dead back?" I asked and Caroline rubbed her temples.

"You aren't supposed to but there is a way you can communicate with the dead but you can't become dependent on it." Caroline explained.

"You wouldn't have had the power to do it before now but once you go back there is a spell you can use to communicate with us but you put yourself in danger when you leave your body so I insist that you don't use the spell often." Caroline said making sure I was looking into her eyes.

"So what? I just go back and pretend like everything is okay while I raise myself? Who is supposed to take care of me?" I asked and Mom smiled.

"John and Melissa will make sure you're taken care of. Our families have been close for a long time. I have faith in them." I savored the feeling of my mom's hand on my cheek.

"Nathan will also stick around." Karen spoke up.

"We don't know that he's committed yet." Caroline shot her down but Karen shook her head.

"Louis and I have been talking to him about this for months. He'll do the right thing by Louis." Karen said making me feel horrible. I didn't want to become anyone's burden.

"What about Peter?" I asked and she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Don't call your father by his first name. He's still your father." She said making me laugh.

"Well Mom he did try to rip my heart out of my chest, sorry for the formalities." I said sarcastically.

"He knew he was going to die. I guess he figured he had to be the one to kill you in order for it to work." Karen said.

"So does that mean it's true, the Argents are responsible for all of your deaths?" I asked confused.

"We can't be sure but it's starting to feel that way. It seems more and more like maybe there is a bigger picture here but you shouldn't go looking for those answers." Evie said.

"That doesn't mean you can trust him. Peter has always had an agenda." Caroline said.

"You guys realize this is way beyond the average amount of stress you should put on someone right? I mean I haven't even had sex yet." I said making them all react differently. Evie laughed, Caroline sighed and rubbed her temples, Karen shook her head and Mom just bit her lip.

"I always knew this day would come but I always figured I would be able to be with all of you. It was one of the main reasons I never feared death and now you're telling me that I have to go back to live in this crazy world without any of you. Do you know how terrifying that is?" I asked looking at all of them.

"Maggie, the time that you spent with each of us was important to who you're going to become. You have the skills and the intelligence. You have nothing to be afraid of." Caroline said simply.

"I'm afraid of being alone!" I spun around and looked at her.

"You know Stiles hasn't left the hospital since they brought you in? He held you the entire way and Scott carried you in." Mom said making me look at her.

"Scott has been trying to take care of him but he doesn't know what to do. He keeps asking for you to respond to his prayers but you never do." She added walking over to me.

"Even Derek has slipped in once or twice when Stiles was asleep or taking a shower." I shut my eyes shaking my head.

"You will never be alone Maggie. I promise you that." She said making me open my eyes.

"What if they can't bring me back?" I asked hoping for a miracle.

"Deaton knows the spell and Stiles has the book. It won't take him long to find and I'm sure it won't take long before they have everything in order." Karen pushed my hair off my shoulder.

"Then we don't have much time." Caroline added.

"For what? I don't think I'll ever want to really leave on my own accord and I don't want to spend the time I have left with you guys talking about the supernatural." I let out a shaky sigh.

"No magic talk, only girl talk." Evie said sounding excited.

"You got time for some motherly advice?" Mom spoke up from next to me with a hopeful smile and I nodded looking at her.

"I'm all ears." I said sitting back down on the couch with the four of them to take in as much time as I could.

**[Stiles POV]**

I had been reading these books for almost 4 hours before any of it remotely made sense. My fingers were covered in band aids as I flipped through the pages, allowing the worn tough paper to cut my skin. Scott was passed out on the little couch I typically slept on and his mom came by once or twice to check on all of us but didn't say anything.

"I never realized how much work it took being a witch. No wonder you hated having to read these." I said talking to Maggie.

"I always kind of wondered if you could show me some of the cool stuff in here but now that I'm reading through it, magic is kind of scary. I mean in books, fairies are evil so why would you want to summon them? Or love spells. I mean you would know that the other person doesn't truly love you so why even bother?" I hated that she couldn't talk back. I've been sitting here for a week trying to get a response out of her and I still couldn't even get her to move her hand. My eyes felt like they were starting to cross just reading through the pages but when my eyes finally found what we were looking for I let my feet drop off the side of the couch.

"That's it…I FOUND IT!" I shouted making Scott jump up.

"Mmh what?! What's going on?" Scott rubbed his face and laughed.

"I know how to save Maggie." I stood up and kissed the book.

"I figured you would Mr. Stilinski." Dr. Deaton was standing in the doorway. Scott jumped up quickly and straightened himself out.

"This is right isn't it? This will work won't it?" I asked showing him the page. He looked it over and nodded.

"You certainly have the spark. I went ahead and retrieved the blood from Karen however we've run into a bit of a problem as far as obtaining her father's blood." Deaton said but I shut the book.

"I can get it." I said confidently.

"Stiles, Derek hasn't even spoken to us since all of this happened. You think he's going to unearth Peter's remains to give us blood?" Scott said but I shook my head.

"Well he'll either give me the blood or I'll dig up his entire burnt out house." I grabbed my jacket and Scott grabbed my arm.

"Wait, what am I supposed to do?" He asked confused.

"Distract anyone who comes in here. I know they want to shut her machines down, I heard my dad talking to your mom earlier. I just need you to buy me some time." I said and Scott looked over at Deaton.

"You best hurry, Stiles." Deaton said and I nodded before running out of the door. It felt weird being back in the jeep again. It's like what people say about getting back on the horse. It's strange at first but you fall right back into it. I drove to the burnt down house first and searched for the body myself. If I could keep Derek out of the loop that would work even better but his sudden voice startled me almost into cardiac arrest.

"I know why you're here and I can't help you." Derek said before I could even open my mouth.

"You don't have to help me I just want to know where you buried Peter's body." I asked.

"You want his blood to bring her back but that's not what she would want." Derek said making my insides cringe.

"She isn't dead yet so I'm not bringing her back. I'm trying to wake her up." I said firmly.

"The blood won't make her want to live, it'll make her wish she'd died." Derek said and I put the pieces together.

"Wait, you've known this whole time that his blood could help save her and you've been holding out? What the hell is wrong with you? She's your last living relative for crying out loud." I raised my voice and Derek stepped towards me.

"And you're supposed to be her best friend! You think she wants to come back like this? Do you even know what this would mean for her? She wouldn't be just a witch anymore. She would be one of the most powerful beings to walk this earth." Derek's words were just pissing me off.

"So this is a power struggle?" I challenged and he practically growled at me.

"NO! She would also be the biggest target!" Derek's words made me stop and think for a minute.

"Stiles…I know how you feel about her and I know she's important to you but isn't watching her die once enough for you?" Derek questioned and I closed my eyes thinking about actually letting her go.

"I need her, okay? I just…I need her." My voice broke in my throat and Derek held my gaze.

"We all need her but think about what she'd be coming back to. She would have to bury another family member, she would have to deal with the Argent's full force and where would she even live? She's not 18 for another few years so who's to say that she'd be able to stay in Beacon Hills. You want me to help you bring her back but to what? We can't give her what she needs." Derek explained.

"I know you've been without a family for a really long time but blood doesn't make you family. Scott is like a brother to her, my dad would protect her and she actually does have a handful of friends. I could be her family. You could too." I reminded him.

"She's 16, Derek. She's barely had time to live. Don't rob her of a future because you think it's best for her. I know she reminds you of your sister. Give her the chance to live long enough to know who she is…what being a Hale is." My words made Derek lock his jaw. I could tell he had things rolling around in his head as he paced on his feet. He walked over to the steps and bent one of the boards back to retrieve what looked like a jar. He eyed the jar for a moment before walking over to me and holding it out to me.

"She's all the blood I have left out there and I'll admit that it would kill a piece of me to let her go but let me remind you that you are making a decision on her behalf. If you do this, there is no going back. Don't lie to yourself and try and say this is what she'd want. You are bringing her back for you." I looked at the jar and carefully took it from him.

"Deaton will know what to do with it. I just hope you know it won't make things better. It will only be the beginning." Derek said as I gripped the jar of blood tightly.

"I'm not letting her go. She can hate me for that all she wants but she'll have family to lean on. I can guarantee that." I started for the door and thought for a moment that Derek had said something in reply but I didn't have the time to waste.

All I could think about was her opening her eyes. We would help her get through Karen's death and help her adjust to living without her family. I was convinced of that. However when I pulled up to the hospital and saw Deaton standing out front I was a bit unnerved.

"I'll take the blood and get it ready but we may have a bigger issue at hand. It would appear her uncle is signing the paperwork to turn off her machines." I could feel my eyes go wide as I ran into the hospital to see Louis's brother, Nathan standing with my dad and Scott's mom.

"Stiles, where the hell did you go?" Dad said in a panic.

"You can't turn the machines off. She just needs more time." I said not answering him.

"Honey, her organs are starting to fail. Keeping the machines on is only prolonging-" I cut Melissa off.

"NO! Please don't. Just give her more time. One more night is all I'm asking for." I begged looking over at Nathan who I didn't even know. I watched Deaton go back into the room stealthily.

"Son, we've got to let her go. There's nothing more that can be done." Dad gripped my shoulder and I shrugged away from him.

"How could you say that!? No, don't. DON'T!" He tried to wrap his arms around me and I fought it. Scott came out of the room as his mom started to tear up.

"She's gone son! We can't keep her here." I could hear the pain in my dad's voice and I just kept shaking my head.

"I'M NOT LOSING HER TOO! I'M NOT! I CAN'T!" I yelled as I fought against my dad's hold on me. We were distracted when the alarms behind the desk started to go off.

"That's Maggie's monitor." Melissa said before we all started to sprint towards the room. Her heart rate had dropped and I gripped the top of my head. How could it not have worked?! Deaton had the spell and the blood. I felt my dad grab my arm but we all jumped when a sudden gasped came out of Maggie's mouth and her eyes shot open practically glowing. She blinked a few times before she fell back against the bed taking deep breaths.

"Oh…my…God." We all said at the same time.

**[Maggie's POV]**

"So Isaac is a sweet boy and has never done anything wrong to you? I personally think you should date around." Evie said waving her hand around.

"Stiles is protective of her and we always hurt the ones we love the most. It's human nature." Karen defended Stiles and I laughed.

"I honestly don't think she should be worrying about her love life when she gets back." Caroline spoke up.

"I'm sure she'll be able to handle it." Mom spoke up as she stroked my hair.

"I don't really think I'll be up for anything when I come out of this." I got up from the couch and walked the room a bit.

"What's on your mind sweetie?" Karen asked.

"I just keep thinking...maybe they won't try and save me. Maybe they'll just let things be, you know? I mean if you're already gone then they know I wouldn't have anyone to come out of this with and it's not like they even get a say right?" I started pacing the room.

"Maggie..." Karen started to say but I shook my head.

"Stiles will always be in love with Lydia, Scott has Allison and Isaac and I were never going to work out. The only person that will possibly struggle with being alone is-" She cut me off this time.

"Derek." Karen put her hand on my shoulder and I looked at her.

"Derek is still family. He isn't just someone you know. He is blood. He will be able to help you with some of your changes." Mom said sincere. She was right. Derek was the only one I knew that would still be alone if I didn't come back. On one hand, I wanted him to have someone to turn to but on the other I knew that he wouldn't want the kind of life Scott had. I hoped he wouldn't help them bring me back but in the short time that I got to know Derek, I realized that family was something he always wanted but never could get back. He was strong with a lot of things but not when it came to his family.

The fire in the fireplace started to rise and I looked down at it confused.

"The flames are turning." Evie said staring at the fireplace.

"It's time." Caroline stood up as I looked back at all of them.

"Time for what?" I asked thinking the worst but Karen let out a sigh.

"Time for you to go where you belong." Karen looked almost at peace with letting me go but I was hoping that wasn't true.

"What if I don't want to go?" I asked stepping back away from the fire but Mom gripped my shoulders.

"I know it's not going to be easy baby but you are a Stevens. You are strong and beautiful and my daughter and I believe that you can do anything. We will never be too far away for you to reach us. I promise you." She kissed my forehead before giving me a tight hug. When she released me, I knew it wasn't going to be okay but there was no fighting it.

"What do I have to do?" I asked trying to hide my emotions.

"Focus on the flames, look inside of yourself and just let yourself fall. Never let the darkness consume you Maggie. Don't ever forget the light that burns inside of you." I kept playing Karen's words over and over in my head as the flames started to feel ice cold on my face. I started to feel dizzy as I fell forwards into the fire but it felt more like a frozen pond. My heart raced as I got that familiar feeling of falling and when my eyes snapped open I could see a bright light.

Everything happened so quickly as I finally came back to the world. I could hear Melissa McCall trying to get people to help me as I flopped back onto the bed and I could see Sheriff Stilinski trying to shuffle the boys out of the room. I instantly felt like my body was being supercharged and I blacked out.

When I came out of it again, I felt my senses starting to come back fully.

"Hey! It's good to see your eyes open again." Stiles looked overjoyed that I was back and I could feel him holding my hand.

"How long was I out?" I asked in a harsh whisper. Scott walked over and handed me some water which felt amazing on my dry throat.

"A week since the...incident but only a few hours since we got you back. I can't believe that thing worked." Stiles said in disbelief.

"How do you feel?" Scott asked making me look over at him. He looked scared.

"How do I feel? I feel like my dad tried to rip my heart out, literally. I feel like my entire body has been thrown down a burning gravel road. I feel like when I tell someone what my dying wishes are that they should stick to them." I felt my blood pressure rising.

"Maggie, you've got to calm down. We don't know what the alpha blood will do to your system yet." Stiles spoke up and I turned my gaze on him.

"Oh and then there's that. As if it wasn't enough of a problem being a witch, you thought throwing alpha blood into my system would be better?" Stiles let go of my hand looking almost dumbfounded that I was upset with him.

"You want to know how I feel? I feel like if you cared about me at all then you would have let me die!" I yelled watching Stiles eyes falter and jaw lock. He shook his head at me before storming out of the room. Scott ran out after him and I laid back in the bed feeling my body ache as it tried to recover. I let tears roll out of my eyes as I ran my fingertips over my skin and realized I'd never feel Mom's embrace again. I know what Stiles was trying to do and I know he cared but I couldn't help but feel like he robbed me of being with my Mom again. I wish I could shake that feeling but it was all too overwhelming at the moment. I tried to pretend I was asleep for most of the other visitors. Nathan came in and tried to talk to me but I rolled over trying to sell the sleeping thing which I guess made him uncomfortable because he left shortly after. I knew the new senses that Caroline had told me about were starting to kick in when Derek first sat down next to the bed. He didn't make a noise but it was his presence and scent that gave him away.

"Are you sitting there for a reason or did you just want to brood in my company?" I asked not looking at him.

"How do you feel?" I had to chuckle to myself at that question. How could they keep asking that? They were all there when Peter dug his claws into my chest. How do they think someone should feel after coming back from that? I turned my head to look at him and saw he was nervous.

"I feel like you should have been stronger and just let me die but I guess that doesn't really matter anymore." I said harshly. He ducked his head down and looked at his hands.

"I'm sorry." He was the first person to say that to me. He was the first person and I could actually feel his emotions when he said it.

"You know you're all I have left right? Me and you...we're the only blood left to speak for both sides of this messed up family." He looked up at me.

"You're the alpha now. Step up...do what needs to be done and don't ever forget that the line of people who love you ends right here." I said making him nod his head. I felt like I got my point across when he finally left the room. I knew he couldn't stay long because of his current standing with the police. I wasn't entirely sure what the story was that was going around about that night at the Hale house but I'm sure it wasn't even remotely true.

I had finally managed to sit up when John and Melissa walked in looking sullen.

"You both look pretty depressed to see me. I already know about Karen so no need to feel the pressure of having to drop bombs on me." I said wincing.

"Sweetie we need to talk about a few things." Melissa walked over and rested a hand on my bed.

"Yeah I figured considering I'm not only an orphan but a burden." I chuckled darkly as John sat up in the chair.

"What? How could you even think that?" He looked offended that I even said that but it was the truth in my opinion.

"Look, I know you both feel like you're somehow responsible for me but you're not." I said honestly.

"That's where you're wrong sweetheart. You are family to all of us." Just the word family made my chest hurt. I looked up at Melissa coldly.

"All of my family was murdered. I have no family." I said swallowing the lump in my throat.

"I know you've been through hell Maggie but you know that's not true. We all care about you and want you to find some kind of peace of mind after all of this. You aren't alone kid." He reached out and took my hand and I felt my emotions getting the better of me. I will never understand how someone can have so much good will in them, not after all I've seen.

"Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with us and we're going to make sure you're taken care of." Melissa sat down on the side of my bed and I snorted wiping my face with my free hand.

"Explain to me how that's not being a burden?" I questioned.

"Because we love you." John squeezed my hand and I bit my lip. I felt the rush of emotions finally take over realizing that these two knew all the bad shit that followed me around, all the horrible things that have happened to my family because of me and yet they still wanted to take care of me. I finally broke down into a heap of tears feeling their arms wrap around me. They had told me that Nathan was going to take leave from his job to come back and get things in order so I'd be staying with John and Stiles for a few weeks. They said I could go between staying there and Scott's but all I really wanted to do was get out of the hospital.

We also had to talk about Karen's funeral which was actually going to be one big funeral for Louis, Karen and the baby. The most they could put that off was a week so I knew I wasn't going to be ready for that. By the time they brought up Kate and how she had been the one responsible for all of the deaths, I was too exhausted to even sit up straight.

I was laying on my side facing away from the door so I could watch the sun go down out of the window. My body was healing quickly and I knew it had to be the healing of the alpha blood. My head was too all over the place for it to be magic of any kind. It was too bad I couldn't just be happy to be alive. I really felt like I owed it to Sheriff Stilinski and Melissa to at least put on a smile but every time I tried to smile I felt tears roll down my cheeks. I heard the door shut slowly and knew it was Stiles. He stood in place for a few moments and I knew he was pissed.

"You don't get to do that to me." His voice was angry but unsteady.

"You don't get to make me feel guilty for caring about you. I'm not going to apologize for wanting you to live past 16 Maggie. I won't do it." He was pacing slightly.

"That's the problem with wanting things. Once we get what we want, we just want something else." I spoke finally.

"How's Lydia?" I asked feeling a female presence. I figured that Stiles ran off to check on her.

"She's fine. Apparently she's immune to the bite." Stiles answered stubbornly.

"Lucky her." I said still not looking at him.

"Don't change the subject. I sat in here every single day talking to you and trying to find a way to bring you out of this, I never left your side and the moment you wake up I get completely shut down like I did a bad thing. I'll admit it was selfish but you can't just come back into my life and expect me to just be okay with losing you forever. You promised me in the hallway that it wasn't goodbye. I'm the one who should be pissed off here." Stiles said walking around the bed so I could see him. He shifted slightly seeing that I had tears in my eyes. He sat down in the chair and put his hand on the bed, unsure about touching me.

"Is it really so awful that you're alive and well?" Stiles practically whispered and I closed my eyes tightly trying to calm down.

"Do you ever dream about your mom?" I asked and he looked at me strangely.

"All the time." He admitted.

"You know how when you have those dreams and she's reaching out to hug you but you can't feel her touch and it's bittersweet because there she is, standing right in front of you but it's not real. You can't feel her, you can't smell her perfume." I said watching him swallow hard.

"When I was out, I got to be with her again. I got to be with her and Evie, Caroline and even Karen. I got to hear their voices and feel the touch of their hands on my shoulder trying to give me a reassuring squeeze because they knew that I couldn't stay with them." I finally met his eyes.

"I went for so long without being able to feel her arms wrapped around me and suddenly I had that again. I'd never felt more loved then I did when she had her arms around me again." I let the tear slide down my cheek as Stiles looked at me, his eyes full of sadness.

"And now...now I've never felt more alone and utterly broken." My voice broke off and I covered my face with my hands. I heard Stiles get to his feet but I didn't know if he was leaving the room or getting me tissues. That's when I felt the shift in the bed. Stiles had slid in behind me and put his arms around me.

"Listen to me okay? I know I will never be as comforting as your mom but I'm holding onto you as tightly as I can without hurting you and I'm begging you to _want_ to stay." Stiles was pleading with me and I could hear his voice break as he got upset.

"I swear on my life, I will never leave you Maggie. You're not alone. We will figure this whole thing out together. I promise you." He leaned his head on the back of mine and kissed into my hair.

"I can't ask you to do that." I said sniffling.

"You aren't asking, I'm telling you. I...I get that you blame me for taking you from your Mom so I'm going to make sure you have a good reason to stay." Stiles said and I kept thinking about what Caroline had said.

"Things aren't going to be like they were Stiles. Whatever I am now...it's dangerous. Eventually, things are going to catch up to me and I don't want you next to me when those things happen." I said firmly as I turned over to face him.

"W-why not?" He asked looking a bit hurt.

"Because everyone that I love always ends up getting hurt and I don't want that to happen to you. I love you, more than I honestly should." His cheeks grown red and blotch as he licked his lips.

"I'm not going to let you pull away from me Maggie. You can hate me all you want but I'm not going anywhere." He said clearing his throat. In the back of my mind I knew that Lydia would always play a factor between Stiles and I but I was starting to think maybe that wasn't a bad thing. Maybe he would be better off chasing after the girl who could fight the bite opposed to being with the one who was a walking kiss of death.

"I could never hate you Stiles." I said looking down at his shirt.

"Well I guess that's a plus." He joked.

"You know that whatever we were considering the night of the dance...between the two of us...we can't be that." I said trying not to sound like a bitch but he nodded his head.

"Yeah I kind of figured you were going to say that considering the first thing you did when you came out of a coma was hand me my ass." Stiles said making me give him a sad smile.

"Thank you for wanting to bring me back." I touched his cheek and he looked down.

"Thanks for not hating me." He said lifting his gaze to meet mine.

"Can you tell me about what it was like...being with them again?" Stiles asked curiously and I let out a sigh.

"Can you tell me about what it was like to watch me die?" I asked in return and he nodded.

"Too soon. Noted." Stiles said leaning on his elbow.

"You look like you haven't slept." I ran my finger across the dark circles under his eyes.

"Well I've been worried about you. I slept on that love seat thing most nights. This is actually the first bed I've been in since the night before the dance." He confessed.

"Scott was supposed to be taking care of you. I thought I mentioned that." I reminded and he shook his head sadly. I knew he was having flashes of that night in his head.

"We all kind of made shitty promises that night I guess." He said back and I knew he was halting my reminders. It was like a mental tug of war we were playing but neither of us wanted to put the other in too much pain.

"I guess now that I'm alive and well you can go home and get some sleep." I said and he pursed his lips together.

"Yeah I guess I could." He said but remained in the bed next to me.

"I know you think I'm trying to get you back for being shitty earlier but on a serious note, I hope that you can really tell me about what happened while you were gone." Stiles was sincere and I nodded at him.

"I just need some time right now." I said and I could see that he understood that. I knew when he shifted in the bed that he wasn't going to go anywhere so I let him fall asleep next to me. His hold on me was still just as firm as it was before when he was trying to console me but as I watched him sleep I knew that this was going to be the beginning of a whole new life for the both of us. The last thing I wanted to be was a werewolf in any form and I was going to fight it every step of the way but harnessing all this supposed power I had wasn't going to be easy.

I was on my own now. I didn't have Karen helping me or Louis to remind me of my human side. One of the first things I knew I would have to give up was my childhood crush on Stiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: If you're reading this story and are looking for the sequel, it's called What Lies Beneath. You can find it on my page.


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